Wilma Stockenström

Wilma Johanna Stockenström (August 7, 1933-) is a South African writer, translator, and actor. She writes in the Afrikaans language, and along with Sheila Cussons, Elisabeth Eybers, Antjie Krog and Ina Rousseau, she is one of the leading female writers in the language.^[1]

She was born in Napier in the Overberg district. After finishing high school, she studied at Stellenbosch University, where she obtained a BA in Drama in 1952. She moved to Pretoria in 1954, and married the Estonian linguist Ants Kirsipuu. She has lived in Cape Town since 1993.

She is one of a handful of writers to have won the Hertzog prize in two different categories. She won it first for poetry in 1977 and then for fiction in 1991. Her 1981 novel Die kremetartekspedisie was translated into English by the Nobel Prize winner J.M. Coetzee under the title The Expedition to the Baobab Tree. She has also been translated into Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Turkish and Swedish.

Works

Poetry

• Vir die bysiende leser, Reijger, Cape Town, 1970
• Spieël van water, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1973
• Van vergetelheid en van glans, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1976
• Monsterverse, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1984
• Die heengaanrefrein, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1988
• Aan die Kaap geskryf, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1994
• Spesmase, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1999
• Die Stomme Aarde: 'n Keur, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 2007
• The Wisdom of Water: A Selection (translated by Johann de Lange), Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 2007
• Skoelapperheuwel, skoelappervrou, Omboni, New York & Pretoria, 1988/2011

Prose

• Uitdraai, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1976
• Eers Linkie dan Johanna, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1979
• Die kremetartekspedisie, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1981
• The Expedition to the Baobab Tree (translated by J.M. Coetzee), Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1983
• Kaapse rekwisiete, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1987
• Abjater wat so lag, Human & Rousseau, Cape Town, 1991

Drama

• Dawid die dik dom kat: ’n kindertoneelstuk, DALRO, Johannesburg, 1971
• Trippens se patatta, DALRO, Johannesburg, 1971
• Laaste middagmaal, Taurus, Johannesburg, 1978

Awards

• 1977 Hertzog Prize for Poetry for Van vergetelheid en van glans
• 1984 CNA, Louis Luyt and Ou Mutual Prizes for Monsterverse
• 1988 Grinzane Cavour Prize for Spedizione al Baobab
• 1991 WA Hofmeyr and Hertzog Prizes for Abjater wat so lag
• 2008 SALA Literary Lifetime Award

References