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F A Venter

1916-1997

Author of historical novels, short stories and youth books

Wrote popular fiction under these pseudonyms:
Meiring Fouché, Elske te Water, René Stegmann and Marius de Jongh

François Alwyn Venter was born on 27 November, 1916, at Hopetown. He attended school in Vioolskraal, Strydenburg and Hopetown and studied at the University of Stellenbosch.
F A Venter worked as a journalist in Cape Town, Windhoek and in Johannesburg until 1960, when he moved to a farm near Kenhardt. Ten years later he began farming near Vredendaal, described in Werfjoernal. When he retired he moved to Strand and became a full time writer.

Ek het Frans Venter baie goed geken. Hy het Werfjoernaal geskrywe in Vanwyksvlei toe hy daar op die plaas van sy ouers gebly het. Ek het vergeet wat die plaas se naam was. Dit was rond 1965. In Werfjoernaal word die plek Vanwyksvlei beskryf en sy inwoners. Die meeste van hulle het ek geken. Ek was daar in die tyd musiekonderwyser en orrelis. Ek het o.m. orrel gespeel by die begrafenis van sy ma. Hy kon moeilik afskeid van haar neem by die graf. Hy was ook lid van die tennisklub en het goed gespeel. Tydens bruilofte of partye was hy altyd daar en het soms briljante toesprake gehou. As u meer (en wat) wil weet. Laat my weet.
Joop Stam
Thank you so much, dear Jaap. Frans Venter is still very popular and people would like to hear more about him! Rosie
Awards:

1961: Hertzog Prize for Swart pilgrim and Geknelde land
1981: Doctor honoris causae, University of Port Elizabeth
1996: Andrew Murray Prize for Literature

List of books

1944/1958: Die geheim van die berg (youth story)
1949: Gebondenes
1950: Eenderse morge
1952: Die drosters
Swart pelgrim
1954: Die tollenaar
1957: Man van Ciréne
1960: Geknelde land
1963: Offerland
1965: Werfjoernal.
Wit oemfaan (youth novel)
1966: Gelofte land
1968: Bedoelde land
1969: Die rentmeesters
1970: Water (comissioned by the Ministry of Water)
1974: Die middag voel na warm as
1979: Kambro-kind
Die koning se wingerd (bilblical novel)

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Photo: F A Venter, 1927, SU Archives

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