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Douglas Livingstone

1932 – 1996

South African poet

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About Douglas Livingstone

Lived 1932 – 1996 (aged 64). Douglas Livingstone was a South African poet.

Douglas Livingstone (5 January 1932 – 19 February 1996) was a South African poet.

He was born in Kuala Lumpur, but his family moved to Natal after his father was taken prisoner during the Japanese invasion of Malaya. He attended Kearsney College and in 1964, he started work as a marine biologist in Durban. He gained two doctorates from the University of Natal; one for his scientific work and an honorary one for his poetry.

Poetry

The Skull in the Mud (1960) Sjambok and Other Poems from Africa (1964) Poems (with Thomas Kinsella and Anne Sexton, 1968) Eyes Closed Against the Sun (1970) A Rosary of Bone (1975) The Anvil's Undertone (1978) Selected Poems (1984) A Littoral Zone (1991) Giovanni Jacopo Meditates on the High-IQ Haiku (1995) A Ruthless Fidelity—Collected Poems of Douglas Livingstone (2004) Lake morning in autumn

Translations Eight Shona Poems (with Phillipa Berlyn) Wilson Chivaura (with Phillipa Berlyn) Gentling a Wildcat

Plays The Sea My Winding Sheet (1964) A Rhino for the Boardroom (1974) The Semblance of the Real (1984)

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
University of Natal, Kearsney College
Awards
Cholmondeley Award

People in Douglas Livingstone's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Douglas Livingstone's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Douglas Livingstone?

South African poet (1932–1996)

When was Douglas Livingstone born?

Douglas Livingstone was born on 5 January 1932.

When did Douglas Livingstone die?

Douglas Livingstone died on 19 February 1996.

What was Douglas Livingstone's occupation?

Douglas Livingstone was a poet.

What nationality was Douglas Livingstone?

Douglas Livingstone was South African.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Douglas Livingstone

· Wikidata: Q5301735

· DBpedia: Douglas Livingstone (poet)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Douglas Livingstone. https://biography.guide/douglas-livingstone/

MLA: "Douglas Livingstone." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/douglas-livingstone/.

Chicago: "Douglas Livingstone." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/douglas-livingstone/.

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