Ad Donker

Adriaan Donker (5 December 1933 – 17 July 2002) was a pioneering South African publisher, who was born in the Netherlands and emigrated in 1966 to South Africa, where he founded his own company to produce South African literature.

Biography Born in Bilthoven, the Netherlands, on 5 December 1933, he grew up in Amsterdam during the Second World War. He learned book publishing from his father, who was a notable Dutch publisher (Ad. Donker, Rotterdam), and was also trained at Collier Macmillan in London and New York City. He emigrated as sales representative to South Africa in 1966, and in 1973 opened his self-titled publishing company, which was committed to publishing South African literature.

Under apartheid, many of Donker's publications were considered "subversive". Despite pressure from government officials, surveillance by the security police, including threats of loss of passport and illegal house searches, Donker adamantly continued publishing social critical works.

He was founder and director of the Centre of Creative Arts in Durban, This Time of Year and Other Stories – Sheila Roberts, 1983.