Home 
List of works Poems: Dis al Die vlakte Nuwe herdruk van Oorlogsdagboek Illustrations by Hans Anton Aschenborn
Old Reading Room
Painting by Hérine Fourie | |
Jan F E Celliers
1865-1940
Afrikaans poet and author of essays, drama and literary reviews
Extraordinary professor, Stellenbosch University, 1919 - 1929
Jan Francois Elias was born on 12 Januarie 1865 on the farm Wagenmakersvallei
near Wellington. A few years later his family moved to Cape Town where he attended an English school.
In 1874 the family moved to Pretoria, where his father had founded De Volksstem a year earlier. Here he first attended an English school and then Meneer Dely se skool op Kerkplein. It was closed down in 1877 when England annexed Pretoria. After one year's
work at his father's newspaper he went on to school in Stellenbosch and
Wellington.
He first worked as a surveyor for one year. He then joined the Department of
Education and after three years obtained the post as State Librarian in 1894.
The second Boer war broke out, Jan Celliers fought near Colesberg to the bitter
end. After the war he managed to slip through the enemy lines dressed in
clothes of his wife. He moved with his family to Europe where he studied
Literature.
Back in South Africa in 1907 he was employed at the Department of Home affairs.
For ten years he did mainly translations of utterly boring texts.
Fortunately the University of Stellenbosch offered him the post of
extraordinary professor in 1919. He stayed here until his retirement in 1929
when he moved to Cape Town. Jan Celliers died on 1 June 1940 in Johannesburg. Awards:
Honorary member of SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns 1930
Besondere Erepenning vir Afrikaanse Letterkunde 1935 List of works:
Oorlogsdagboek (1899-1902)
Die Brandwag
1905: Ons leesboek voor oud en jong
(was published again in 1920 and used at schools)
1908: Die vlakte en ander gedigte
1909: Liefde en plig
1910: Unie kantate
1911: Martjie
1918: Die Saaier en ander nuwe gedigte
1920: Jopie Fourie en ander nuwe gedigte
Die rivier
1922: Reg bo reg, of, Die doel heilig die middele
1923: Die lewenstuin en ander gedigte
1924: Liefdelewe
1924: Ou Gawie en ander verhale en sketse
1924: Die groot geheim
1933: Kuns in lewe en kultuur
Bloemlesing uit die gedigte van Jan F.E. Celliers
* * *| Dis al Dis die blond,
dis die blou:
dis die veld,
dis die lug;
en 'n voël draai bowe in eensame vlug -
dis al Dis 'n balling gekom
oor die oseaan,
dis 'n graf in die gras,
dis 'n vallende traan -
dis al |
* * *
'n Nuwe herdruk van Oorlogsdagboek, bestaande uit 565 bladsye is so pas herdruk. As addendum tot die boek is
dertien artikels in Afrikaans deur die skrywer, wat in Huisgenoot 1934-36 verskyn het, ingesluit.
Die prys is R 180 (plus R 28 versekering en posgeld). Verkrygbaar by: GISA
(Genealogiese Instituut van S.A.
Banghoekweg 115, Stellenbosch
Posbus 3030, Matieland 7602
Tel: 021 887 5070 Faks: 887 50 31
www.StellenboschWriters.com © Rosemarie Breuer
Books