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Tim Couzens

1944 – 2016

South African literary and social historian, and travel writer

Writer Social historianLiterary historian
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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

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Rhodes University, University of the Witwatersrand, Durban High School
Employers
University of the Witwatersrand
Awards
Alan Paton Award

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

· Wikipedia: Tim Couzens

· Wikidata: Q20877862

· DBpedia: Tim Couzens

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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