Wilma Stockenström

Wilma Johanna Stockenström (born 7 August 1933) is a South African writer, translator, and actor. She writes in the Afrikaans language, and along with Sheila Cussons, Elisabeth Eybers, Antjie Krog and Ina Rousseau, she is one of the leading female writers in the language.

Biography She was born in Napier in the Overberg district of South Africa. After finishing high school, she studied at Stellenbosch University, where she obtained a BA in drama in 1952. She moved to Pretoria in 1954, and married the Estonian linguist Ants Kirsipuu. Stockenström has lived in Cape Town since 1993.

She is one of a handful of writers to have won the Hertzog prize in two different categories. She won it first for poetry in 1977 and then for fiction in 1991. Her 1981 novel Die kremetartekspedisie was translated into English by the Nobel Prize winner J. M. Coetzee under the title The Expedition to the Baobab Tree. Her work has also been translated into Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Turkish and Swedish.

Works

Poetry Vir die bysiende leser, Cape Town: Reijger, 1970 Spieël van water, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1973 Van vergetelheid en van glans, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1976 Monsterverse, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1984 Die heengaanrefrein, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1988 Aan die Kaap geskryf, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1994 Spesmase, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1999 Die Stomme Aarde: 'n Keur, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 2007 The Wisdom of Water: A Selection (translated by Johann de Lange), Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 2007 Skoelapperheuwel, skoelappervrou, New York & Pretoria: Ombondi, 1988/2011 Hierdie mens, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 2013

Prose Uitdraai, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1976 Eers Linkie dan Johanna, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1979 Die kremetartekspedisie, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1981 The Expedition to the Baobab Tree (translated by J. M. Coetzee), Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1983; Brooklyn, NY: Archipelago Books, 2015, Kaapse rekwisiete, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1987 Abjater wat so lag, Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 1991

Drama Dawid die dik dom kat: ’n kindertoneelstuk, Johannesburg: DALRO, 1971 Trippens se patatta, Johannesburg: DALRO, 1971 Laaste middagmaal, Johannesburg: Taurus, 1978

Awards 1977 Hertzog Prize for Poetry for Van vergetelheid en van glans 1984 CNA, Louis Luyt and Ou Mutual Prizes for Monsterverse 1988 Grinzane Cavour Prize for Spedizione al Baobab 1991 WA Hofmeyr and Hertzog Prizes for Abjater wat so lag 2008 SALA Literary Lifetime Award