Dan Sleigh

Daniel (Dan) Sleigh was a South African historian, writer and conservationist. Sleigh is widely known for his writing and publications dealing with the history of the Cape in South Africa, which are in Afrikaans (with some works translated into English and Dutch).

His 2002 novel (Islands) is regarded as one of the quintessential historical novels set in time when the Dutch East India Company established a resupply outpost at the southwestern tip of Africa, now Cape Town.

Early life He was born on the farm Geelbeksfontein on the West Coast on 3 November 1938. He was born to Francis and Susanna Sleigh, whose fathers were both ship captains. He matriculated at Vredenburg High School.

Education & Career

Upon finishing high school, Sleigh joined the South African Navy. During his time in the navy, he travelled across Mombasa, Kenya and south of the Prince-Edward Islands along the Indian Ocean. After completing his service in the Navy, he went onto work as a bank clerk at Barclays Bank and a barman at Saldanha Hotel. He also worked as a fisherman and truck driver.

From 1960 until 1962, Sleigh studied to become a Physical Education teacher at the Paarl Training College. He went on to work as a physical education teacher in the early 1960s, teaching at Mariental High School in Namibia and the Marist Brothers College in Rondebosch, Cape Town.

Writing

He made his literary debut in 1974 with the volume of poetry entitled Duif oor water. This was followed by a series of novels for youth and adults and works of history throughout the 1970s and 1980s, like Tussen twee vlae and Onder die bittervaan. The cause of his death was not disclosed.

Awards

C Louis Leipoldt Prize (1971) – Duif oor water Winner of the Sanlam/Insig/Kwela Great Novel Competition (2001) – Eilande W.A. Hofmeyr Prize (2003) – Eilande RAU Prize for Creative Writing (2003) – Eilande M-Net Prize for Creative Writing in Afrikaans (2004) – Eilande Helgaard Steyn Prize (2004) – Eilande Medal from the Academy for Science and Culture (2007) K. Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award for Afstande (2011) University of Johannesburg Prize for Wals met Maltilda (2012)

Non-fiction 1978 Jan Kompanjie: die wêreld van die Verenigde Oos-Indiese Kompanjie, Tafelberg 1979 Ruiters teen die Ryk, Nasou 1988 The Huguenots (with AJ Grant and Ronald Mayo), Maskew Miller Longman 1993 Die buiteposte, HAUM 1996 The Forts of the Liesbeeck Frontier, Castle Military Museum 1999 The Ride Against an Empire, Castle Military Museum 2022 Retoervloot: Kaapstad en die VOC in 1713, NB Publishers

Translations

Eilande (2002) into English (Islands, 2004) and Dutch (Stemmen uit zee, 2004) Afstande (2010) into Dutch (De lange tocht, 2011)