Tim Couzens
South African literary and social historian, and travel writer
About Tim Couzens
Lived 1944 – 2016 (aged 72). Tim Couzens was a South African writer, social historian, literary historian and historian.
Tim Couzens (1944–2016) was a South African literary and social historian, and travel writer. He was educated at Durban High School, Rhodes University, and the University of the Witwatersrand. He won a number of awards for his works, and was employed in the Graduate School for Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Couzens authored 16 distinct works and was also involved in the publication of Nelson Mandela's "Conversations With Myself".
In mid October 2016 Couzens suffered a severe head injury from a fall causing a brain haemorrhage. He fell into a coma and then died on October 26.
Publications
The Return of the Amasi Bird: Black South African Poetry 1891-1981 (Ravan Press, 1982), co-edited with Essop Patel The New African: A Study of the Life and Work of H.I.E. Dhlomo (Ravan Press, 1985) Tramp Royal: The True Story of Trader Horn (Wits University Press, 1992) A new edition of Sol Plaatje's Mhudi with (Francolin Publishers, 1996) Murder at Morija: Faith, Mystery, and Tragedy on an African Mission (University of Virginia Press, 2003) Battles of South Africa (David Philip, 2004)
Awards 1993 Alan Paton Award (Tramp Royal)
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Important facts
People in Tim Couzens's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Tim Couzens's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Tim Couzens?
South African literary and social historian, and travel writer (1944-2016)
When was Tim Couzens born?
Tim Couzens was born on 13 February 1944 in Durban.
When did Tim Couzens die?
Tim Couzens died on 28 October 2016 in Johannesburg.
What was Tim Couzens's occupation?
Tim Couzens was a writer, social historian, literary historian and historian.
What nationality was Tim Couzens?
Tim Couzens was South African.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Tim Couzens. https://biography.guide/tim-couzens/
MLA: "Tim Couzens." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/tim-couzens/.
Chicago: "Tim Couzens." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/tim-couzens/.
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