BRINK FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT WITH THE PEN
THE passing of André P Brink leaves a gaping hole in the South African social fabric.
Brink was one of the most prolific South African writers who contributed immensely to the national cultural, academic and intellectual landscape for more than five decades.
His writing was profound, insightful and prophetic, which was ample testimony to the great visionary that he was.
Brink – who died on Friday February 6, while on a flight from Belgium where he received an honorary doctorate – was born in Vrede, Free State, in 1935.
He published his first poem in a children ’ s magazine aged nine. At the time of his death, aged 79, Brink had published more than 40 books.
Most of Brink ’ s work was translated into 30 languages worldwide, which has led to admiration and respect, not only throughout the Afrikaans-speaking world, but to many other communities globally.
Brink was also a paragon of nation-building and social cohesion. To this end, he wrote many of his works simultaneously in English and Afrikaans, demonstrating an unparalleled linguistic versatility.
His dynamism extended to his subject matter, which presented an authentic reflection of the South African society in its diversity, and he wrote about the lives and the experiences of blacks in South Africa, the same as he wrote about the life experiences of whites.
Brink ’ s political eyes were first opened after he attended an address by ANC politician ZK Matthews at Potchefstroom University, where the author obtained a masters degree in 1959. Afterwards, Brink travelled to Paris for his postgraduate research.
Brink became one of the most amplified voices that told the story of South Africa to the world through literature, raised the political consciousness of his readers, and provided an insight into the apartheid psyche.
Essentially, Brink used his talent to portray a true picture of the South African condition and, above all, to fight injustice, inequality and racism under apartheid.
He is probably most well-known for his 1979 novel,
which was adapted into a film in 1989, and which reveals the corrosive effects of apartheid on humanity in the aftermath of the 1976 student uprisings.
Consequently, Brink sacrificed self-interest for truth and, as a result, was largely condemned and disowned by conservative sections of the Afrikaner community. But, this did not dampen selfless cultural activism. Brink ’ s life story is told in his 2009 memoir,
Brink ’ s list of accolades include a nomination for the Nobel Prize and being short-listed twice for the prestigious Booker Prize.
He received the Presidential Order of Ikhamanga, in silver, in 2006 for his excellent contribution to literature and fighting for a just and democratic society.