Henning J. Pieterse was born on 8 August1960 at Wageningen, Holland. After school in Stellenbosch and Pretoria he studied at the University of Pretoria and at Unisa (DLitt et Phil 1995), where he was associate professor for Afrikaans and Dutch. He is currently the Head of the Unit for Creative Writing, University of Pretoria. Since 1993 he is also chief editor of Tydskrif vir Letterkunde.
Together with Louis Esterhuizen he founded "Die Bekbrekers" organizing poetry slams (bekgevegte) and monthly poetry readings. He participated in "Poetry International" in Rotterdam (2001) and "Dichters in het Elzenveld" in Antwerp (2001).

Henning plays djembe and didgeridoo for relaxation.
Favourite authors: Rilke, Derek Walcott, Joseph Brodsky, Seamus Heaney, John Berryman, Irvine Welsh, Raymond Carver, Michael Ondaatje, Henry Miller and Charles Bukowski
Henning is married to Hetta and they have a son, Thys.

"Louise Viljoen meen dat H.J. Pieterse se gedigte die intellek sowel as die emosies opvoed."

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