Karel Schoeman

Karel Schoeman (born 26 October 1939 in Trompsburg, South Africa) is a South African novelist, historian, translator and man of letters. The author of 18 novels and numerous works of history, he is one of South Africa's most awarded and highly-regarded authors. Although several of Schoeman's non-fiction works are available in English, he has chosen to write primarily in Afrikaans. Few of his novels have been translated into other languages.

In 1999, on the occasion of Nelson Mandela's retirement, Schoeman was one of only two living South African writers to be honoured with a State President's Award.

Major Works

Novels

* "Veldslag" (1965) (actually two novellas: "Veldslag" and "In Ballingskap")
* "By Fakkellig" (1966)
* "n Lug vol Helder Wolke" (1967)
* "Spiraal" (1968)
* "Op 'n Eiland" (1971)
* "Na die Geliefde Land" (1972)
* "Die Noorderlig" (1975)
* "Om te Sterwe" (1976)
* "Afrika: 'n Roman" (1977)
* "Die Hemeltuin" (1979)
* "Die Reisiger" (1980)
* "Waar Ons Gelukkig Was" (1981)
* "n Ander Land" (1984)
* "Afskeid en Vertrek" (1990)
* "Hierdie Lewe" (1993)
* "Die Uur van die Engel" (1995)
* "Verkenning" (1996)
* "Verliesfontein" (1998)

Autobiographical Works, Travel Writing & Belles-Lettres

* "Berig uit die Vreemde: 'n Ierse Dagboek" (1966)
* "Van 'n Verre Eiland: 'n Tweede Ierse Dagboek" (1968)
* "Koninkryk in die Noorde: 'n Boek oor Skotland" (1977)
* "Onderweg: Reisherinnerings" (1978)
* "Stamland: 'n Reis deur Nederland" (1999)
* "Die Laaste Afrikaanse Boek: Outobiografiese Aantekeninge" (2002)

Translations of Schoeman's Books

English

* "Promised Land" (1978)
* "Another Country" (1991)
* "Olive Schreiner: A Woman in South Africa" (1991)
* "Take Leave and Go" (1992)
* 'Miss Godby and the magistrate', an excerpt from "Verliesfontein", in "A Century of Anglo-Boer War Stories" (1999)
* "This Life" (2005)

French

* "En étrange pays" (1993)
* Three short stories in "Caravanes" (2003)
* "La Saison des Adieux " (2004)
* "Retour au pays bien-aimé" (2006)

Dutch

* "Een Ander Land" (1992)
* "Merksteen: Een Dubbelbiografie" (2004)

German

* "In einem fremden Land" (1993)

Russian

* "V radnuju stranu" (1978)

Translations into Afrikaans by Schoeman

* Anton Chekhov, "Oom Wanja: Tonele uit die Plattelandse Lewe in Vier Bedrywe" (1968)
* "Uit die Iers: Middeleeuse Gedigte" (1970)
* "Helde van die Rooi Tak: Die Saga van Cucullin en die Veeroof van Culne" (1973)
* Friedrich Schiller, "Maria Stuart" (1973)
* Anton Chekhov, "Die Kersieboord: Blyspel in Vier Bedrywe" (1975)
* "Gode, Helde en Konings: Middeleeuse Ierse Verhale" (1975)
* "Finn en sy Mense: Die Avonture van die Fianna van Ierland" (1976)
* Pieter Langendijk, "Die Huweliksbedrog: 'n Blyspel" (1976)
* Herman Heijermans, "Op Hoop van Seën: 'n Spel van die See in Vier Bedrywe" (1979)
* Arthur Schnitzler, "Liebelei" (1981)
* Rob Nairn, "n Stil Gemoed: 'n Inleiding tot die Boeddhisme en Meditasie" (1997)

Historical Works

Monographs

* "Bloemfontein: Die Ontstaan van 'n Stad, 1846-1946" (1980)
* "Vrystaatse Erfenis: Bouwerk en Geboue in die 19de Eeu" (1982)
* "Die dood van 'n Engelsman: Die Cox-moorde van 1856 en die Vroeë Jare van die Oranje-Vrystaat" (1982)
* "Boukkunsskatte van die Vrystaat / Free State Heritage" (1985)
* "Die wêreld van die digter: 'n Boek oor Sutherland en die Roggeveld ter ere van N.P. van Wyk Louw" (1986)
* "Die Moord op Hesje van der Merwe, 19 Oktober 1837" (1995)
* "J.J. Kicherer en die Vroeë Sending, 1799-1806" (1996)
* "Armosyn van die Ka

* "Armosyn van die Ka

* "The Griqua Captaincy of Philippolis, 1826-1861" (2002)
* "The Early Mission in South Africa / Die Vroeë Sending in Suid-Afrika, 1799-1819" (2005)
* "Kinders van die Kompanjie: Kaapse Lewens uit die Sewentiende Eeu" (2006)
* "Early Slavery at the Cape of Good Hope, 1652-1717" (2007)

Biographies

* "In Liefde en Trou: Die Lewe van President Martinus Theunis Steyn en mevrou Tibbie Steyn met 'n Keuse uit Hulle Korrespondensie" (1983)
* "Olive Schreiner: 'n Lewe in Suid-Afrika, 1855-1881" (1989)
* "Only an Anguish to Live Here: Olive Schreiner and the Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902" (1992)
* "Irma Stern: The Early Years, 1894-1933" (1994)
* "Die Kort Sendingloopbaan van Sophia Burgmann, 1805-1812" (1994)
* "A Thorn Bush that Grows in the Path: The Missionary Career of Ann Hamilton, 1815-1823" (1995)
* "Die Wêreld van Susanna Smit, 1799-1863" (1995)
* "A Debt of Gratitude: Lucy Lloyd and the 'Bushman Work' of G.W. Stow" (1997)
* "Dogter van Sion: Machtelt Smit en die 18de-eeuse Samelewing aan die Kaap, 1749-1799" (1997)
* "Merksteen: 'n Dubbelbiografie" (1998)
* "n Duitster aan die Kaap, 1724-1765: Die Lewe en Loopbaan van Hendrik Schoeman" (2004)

Edited Works

* "Bloemfontein in Beeld / Portrait of Bloemfontein, 1860-1881" (1987)
* "Griqua Records: The Philippolis Captaincy, 1825-1861" (1996)
* "The Face of the Country: A South African Family Album, 1860-1910" (1996)
* "The Mission at Griquatown, 1801-1821" (1997)
* "Witnesses to War: Personal Documents of the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) from the Collections of the South African Library" (1998)
* "Die Suidhoek van Afrika: Geskrifte oor Suid-Afrika uit die Nederlandse Tyd, 1652-1806" (2002)

Awards and Honours

* 1970 Hertzog Prize for "By Fakkellig", "n Lug Vol Helder Wolke" & "Spiraal"
* 1972 CNA Prize for "Na die Geliefde Land"
* 1983 Recht Malan Prize (for non-fiction) for "Vrystaatse Erfenis"
* 1984 Old Mutual Prize for "n Ander Land"
* 1985 W.A. Hofmyer Prize for "n Ander Land"
* 1986 Hertzog Prize for "n Ander Land"
* 1988 Helgaard Steyn Prize for "n Ander Land"
* 1990 SABC Prize for Best Television Drama for "Op die Grens"
* 1991 Old Mutual Prize for "Afskeid en Vertrek"
* 1994 CNA Prize for "Hierdie Lewe"
* 1995 Hertzog Prize for "Hierdie Lewe"
* 1997 M-Net Book Award for "Verkenning"
* 1997 Stals Prize for Cultural History from the South African Academy for Arts & Science
* 1998 Recht Malan Prize (for non-fiction) for "Dogter van Sion"
* 1999 State President Award: Order for Excellent Service
* 2000 D.Litt ("honoris causa"), University of Cape Town
* 2002 Recht Malan Prize (for non-fiction) for "Armosyn van die Kaap"
* 2003 Recht Malan Prize (for non-fiction) for "Die Laaste Afrikaanse Boek"
* 2004 D.Litt ("honoris causa"), University of the Free State
* 2006 Prix Amphi for "La Saison des Adieux"
* 2006 The South African Literature Award for his complete oeuvre

Studies of Schoeman's Works

There are numerous published essays and articles dealing with Schoeman's literary oeuvre, as well as to an increasing extent with his historical works. The leading guide to his work, however, is a combined selection of previously published articles, enriched by specialist conference contributions, rewritten as chapters afterwards, and based upon a conference dedicated to his legacy which was held at The University of Johannesburg in 2000.

This ingenious strategy allows both the curious reader and serious researchers in Southern African studies to access a good spectrum of representative critical assessments of his work. Moreover, the book has been edited by two leading scholars in the field of Afrikaans literature, i.e. Willie Burger and Helize van Vuuren.

The title, "Sluiswagter by die Dam van Stemme: Beskouings oor die Werk van Karel Schoeman" (Pretoria: Protea, 2002), borrows imagery derived from some of his later, significant novels, and hints at the unique literary and historical niche which Schoeman, as writer of fiction, and historian, has created for himself in the literary landscape of the country. As a guardian at the dammed up wall of forgotten voices from the past, the title suggests, this outsider-artist figure has guided those unheard voices to expression within the narrative landscape that he has given birth to through his writing.

Even though the title is Afrikaans, the book contains some useful contributions in English which facilitate considerations of Schoeman's works within a broader South African and international perspective. This collection also contains a transcription of an interview with Karel Schoeman, dating from 1998, one of only a very few he has given during his life.

Sluiswagter is structured in a way which enables even a novice Schoeman reader to become acquainted - easily and with much useful insight - with detailed discussions of his books, and summaries of critical views, thematic preoccupations and literary approaches. In this regard, chapters by one of the editors, Helize van Vuuren, in addition to Gert Jooste and Carl Kieck, provide oeuvre overviews of Schoeman's work, and help to reveal the impressive scope and consistent thematic trajectory which has been present in the author's works since the 1960s.

Carl Kieck's proposed Jungian approach in particular provides an important interpretative key with which to complete the array of approaches that has been forwarded over the years in order to unlock Schoeman's elusive literary art. Another noteworthy contribution - and equally necessary - is that by the renowned South African historian Hermann Giliomee, who comments upon the prolific historiographical legacy of the writer in greater detail.

Specific contributions, often in relation to an individual work, are provided after the overview chapters by many well-known names in relation to South African literature, and Schoeman's work in particular. A few of these, to highlight, with either older or new contributions, are written by Hans Ester, J.M. Coetzee, Henriette Roos, Luc Renders, Chris van der Merwe, Willie Burger - the other editor - and Philip John.

Another useful feature is that the book lists most of the secondary works on Schoeman up to 2001. Much, however, still needs to be done to introduce Schoeman to an international audience. Nonetheless, as more and more translations and adaptations of his works are done, the importance of this writer within a Southern African context, is becoming steadily more apparent, and will no doubt be established before long.

References

Further biographical information and critical discussion can be found in the following:

J.C. Kannemeyer, "Geskiedenis van die Afrikaanse Literatuur, vol. 2" (Cape Town: Academica, 1983) G.A. Jooste, 'Karel Schoeman', in: H.P. van Coller (ed.), "Perspektief en Profiel: 'n Afrikaans Literatuurgeskiedenis, vol. 2" (Pretoria: Van Schaick, 1999), pp. 544-64.

Major sources for Schoeman's biography are his autobiography, "Die Laaste Afrikaanse Boek" (2002) and the book based on his grandparents' lives, "Merksteen" (1998).