Image credit: Nadine Gordimer and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at the Nobel Banquet in the Stockholm City Hall, Sweden, on 10 December 1991. Photo from the Lars Åström archive. “Photo gallery – The Nobel Banquet 1991”. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 22 Jun 2018.
Today, 20 November, is the birthday of esteemed South African writer Nadine Gordimer. She was born in 1923 and passed away on 13 July 2014 at the age of 90. Gordimer’s parents were Jewish. During her long and fascinating career she became widely known for her novels which explored the effect of apartheid on the lives of ordinary South Africans, especially those who were on the receiving end of an oppressive and unjust system. Gordimer’s novels, most of which were awarded important literary awards, include The Lying Days (1953), Occasion for Loving (1963), The Conservationist (1974), Burger’s Daughter (1979), July’s People (1981) and Get a Life (2005), to name but a few. Several of her works were bannned by the apartheid government.
In addition to her novels, Gordimer also wrote short stories and made television documentaries and dramas. As a political activist and ardent opponent of apartheid she effectively used her writing skill to inform her international readership of the devastating consequences of South Africa’s racial policies. Not only did Gordimer receive the Nobel Prize for Literature (1991) but she was also awarded a number of honorary doctorates from universities all over the world. Today, Gordimer’s novels are as relevant as ever and they are considered an important record of the changing response to apartheid over many decades. Gordimer was also active in the HIV/Aids movement and she is a founding member of the Congress of South African Writers (COSAW).
The National Museum honours the memory and legacy of one of South Africa’s greatest novelists.
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