Etienne Leroux (1922–1989) was an influential Afrikaans author and a key member of the South African Sestigers literary movement. He was born on June 13 as Stephanus Petrus Daniël le Roux, son of S.P. Le Roux, a South African Minister of Agriculture.
His works gained critical acclaim and were translated into many languages. His 1968 book, translated into English as One for the devil is titled Een vir Azazel (One for Azazel) in Afrikaans, and makes use of the Azazel myth. He studied Law at Stellenbosch University (BA, LLB) and worked for a short time at a solicitor's office in Bloemfontein. From 1946 he farmed and lived as a writer on his farm, Ja-Nee, in the Koffiefontein district.
Etienne Leroux is known as one of the most important (and at the time controversial) writers of the avant garde group of the sixties. He died on 30 December 1989, and was buried at the family church yard of Wamakersdrift, of which his farm formed part.
His audience will be the audience that only a good writer can merit, an audience which assembles slowly in ones and twos ... the rumour spreads that here an addition will be found to the literature of our time. -- Graham Greene
Awards:
List of works:
Etienne Leroux. Die eerste siklus. Die eerste lewe van Colet - Hilaria - Die mugu.
A biography of Etienne Leroux, by the respected biographer of Afrikaans writers, John Christoffel Kannemeyer, was published in July 2008.
Misterie van die alchemis. 'n Inleiding tot Etienne Leroux se negedelige romansiklus. (By Charles Malan)