| Lionel Abrahams | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 11, 1928 Pretoria, South Africa |
| Died | May 30, 2004 (aged 76) |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Nationality | South African |
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Lionel Abrahams (11 April 1928[1] – 31 May 2004) was a South African novelist, poet, editor, critic, essayist and publisher. He was born in Johannesburg, where he lived his entire life.[2] He was born with cerebral palsy and had to use a wheelchair from 11 years of age.[1]
Best known for his poetry, he was mentored by Herman Charles Bosman,[1] and he and later edited seven volumes of Bosman's posthumously published works.[3] Abrahams went on to become one of the most influential figures in South African literature in his own right,[4][5] publishing numerous poems, essays, and two novels.[1] Through Renoster Books, which he started in 1956, he published works by Oswald Mtshali and Mongane Wally Serote heralding the emergence of black poetry during the apartheid era.[1]
In 1986, he married Jane Fox.[1] That year, he was awarded honorary doctorates of literature by the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Natal.[6]
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