E.K.M. Dido

E.K.M. Dido (born 1951), often simply known as Dido, is a South African writer. With her first book Die storie van Monica Peters, she became the first black woman to publish an Afrikaans-language novel.

Early life and education E.K.M. Dido was born in 1951 in Tsomo, South Africa. She was the oldest daughter in a family of 12 children. Dido describes her parents as coloured, and she grew up speaking Afrikaans interchangeably with Xhosa. She is also fluent in English. She is considered a pioneer of Afrikaans literature. She had originally written the story in English before deciding to publish it in Afrikaans instead.

Her 2000 novel ’n Stringetjie blou krale ("A String of Blue Beads") was considered her real breakthrough, dealing with issues of racial identity and "coloured" ancestry in South Africa. It was followed by the novels Die onsigbares (2003) and ’n Ander ek i (2007). In 2012, as part of Suidoosterfees, she adapted her short story "Baby" for the stage.

In 2005, Dido was granted an honorary doctorate in literature from the University of the Western Cape.

Selected works

Die storie van Monica Peters (1996) Rugdraai en stilbly (1997) ’n Stringetjie blou krale (2000) Die onsigbares (2003) ’n Ander ek i (2007) Emma en Nella (2010)