F. A. Venter


Francois Alwyn Venter was a prominent Afrikaans writer of the 20th century. His novels explored biblical religious themes, or cultural identities in the South African context. He also examined relations between white and black more closely in Wit Oemfaan, which describes a white boy's discovery of the customs of the Zulu nation. Swart Pelgrim on the other hand relates the experiences and observations of a migrant from a black rural setting to the industrialised, white-dominated environment. He may be best known for his novel Geknelde Land, which describes the Eastern Cape Boer community living under Xhosa raids and the English governance of the 19th century.

Early life

Venter was born in Hopetown and grew up on his parents' farm in the Britstown district. He attended rural farm schools at first, then Strydenburg Secondary School, matriculating from Hopetown High School in 1934. He studied at the University of Stellenbosch, where he obtained a BA degree. His interest in writing and journalism was already clear at that time, as he became the sub-editor of Die Stellenbosse Student, serving alongside future Afrikaans writers such as Ernst van Heerden, Audrey Blignault and.

Adult career

Venter wanted to complete an MA degree as well but had to halt his studies due to financial reasons. His first job in 1938 was at Cape Town's Die Suiderstem newspaper, working alongside writers such as and. After a stint in 1941 at Pretoria newspaper Die Volkstem, under editor C.S. Coetzee, he returned to Die Suiderstem in Cape Town, where he became parliamentary reporter and news editor.
In 1946, he was appointed as the editor of Die Suidwes-Afrikaner, the official newspaper of the United National South West Party in Windhoek, South West Africa. Through the close alliance of the UNSWP with South Africa's United Party, Venter moved to Johannesburg in 1952 to become the United Party's head of information. For a short period, he had ambitions to get involved in politics but was not very successful. After losing an election in South West Africa as a candidate for the UNSWP, he tried again in 1953 for the United Party but lost again.
For 25 years, he worked as a journalist in Cape Town, Pretoria, Windhoek and Johannesburg. He also wrote popular fiction, under the pseudonyms Meiring Fouché, Elske te Water, René Stegmann and Marius de Jongh. In 1960, he began farming in the Kenhardt district near Vanwyksvlei, where his parents had resided since the 1930s. In 1967, he had to leave the northern Cape due to declining health and settled in Strand, meaning to write full-time. In 1970, however, he returned to farming, this time as viticulturist at Vredendal in the Olifants river valley. In 1976 when his health deteriorated again, he retired for good from farming and returned to Strand.

Recognition

Venter received the Hertzog Prize for prose in 1961 for his novels Swart Pelgrim and Geknelde land. For Kambrokind he received the ruitertrofee of the Suid-Afrikaanse Federasie van Rapportryerskorpse in 1982. In 1981, the University of Port Elizabeth awarded him the honorary degree D. Litt in recognition for his writings. In 1996, he received the Andrew Murray Prize for Literature. He was in addition a member of the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde.
F.A. Venter died on 8 July 1997.

Works

Writing as F.A. Venter

  • Die Geheim van die Berg
  • Die Gebondenes: Kortverhale
  • Eenderse Morge
  • Swart Pelgrim . Winner of the Hertzog Prize, 1961.
  • Die Drosters
  • Die Tollenaar
  • Man van Ciréne
  • Geknelde Land . Winner of the Hertzog Prize, 1961.
  • Offerland
  • Werfjoernaal
  • Wit Oemfaan: Gegrond op die verhaal van die Voortrekkerseun Ferdinand van Gas soos aangeteken deur Gustav S Preller
  • Gelofteland
  • Bedoelde Land
  • Die Rentmeesters
  • Water . Commissioned by the Ministry of Water.
  • Die Middag Voel Na Warm As
  • Kambro-kind: 'n Jeugreis
  • Die Koning se Wingerd
  • Die Ou Man en die Duif
  • Die Keer Toe Ek My Naam Vergeet Het
  • ''Van Botterkraal na Altena: Hoogtepunte Uit Vier Outobiografiese Romans''

    Writing as Meiring Fouché

''Die Swart Luiperd'' series

Die Swart Luiperd was a series of popular Afrikaans pulp fiction, originally written in the early 1950s by Abraham Le Roux Botha, under the pseudonym Braam Le Roux. After his death in 1956, the series was continued by Venter, writing as Meiring Fouché.

  1. Die Reus van Boendoe
  2. Vlamme van Verraad
  3. Monsters van die Moerasse
  4. Afgrond van Wraak
  5. Woud van Onheil
  6. Vlam van Wraak
  7. Sluiers oor die Woud
  8. Prinses van die Arende
  9. Woud van Waansin
  10. Rampokkers van die Paradys
  11. Die Legende van Kumara
  12. Monsters van die Bambiberge
  13. Die Purper Arend
  14. Avontuur in die Kongo
  15. Moord in die Oerwoud
  16. Seun van die Swart Luiperd
  17. Slagoffer vir die Slanggod
  18. Dodelike druppels
  19. Die plaag uit Egipte
  20. Renostermanne van die Moraberge
  21. Die geheim van die Begrafplaas van die Olifante
  22. Watergraf vir die Oerwoudman
  23. Leeuspore tussen die lyke
  24. Die verlore stam

''Sahara-Avontuur'' series


  1. Heks van die Sahara
  2. Spore na die Dood
  3. Die Skarlaken Ruiters
  4. Wraak van die Woestyn
  5. Die fort is Stil
  6. Dood met Sonop
  7. Dreunende Hoewe
  8. Bloed voor die Son
  9. Die Spore Roep
  10. Mademoiselle Julie
  11. Wraak van die Sabel
  12. Bloedige Robyne
  13. Bloed oor die Duine
  14. Duine van die Dood
  15. Dreigende Daeraad
  16. Bouvalle van die Dood
  17. Gaste van die Dood
  18. Bitter die Wraak
  19. Vlamme in die Tempel
  20. Strik van die Dood
  21. Die Dodelike Sluipers
  22. Nag van Geweld
  23. Bloed oor die Bouvalle
  24. Spelonk van verskrikking
  25. Skaduwee van Gister
  26. Storm oor Dini-Salam
  27. Die Skatte van Marabash
  28. Wraak in die Woestynvesting
  29. Stille Dood oor die Sahara
  30. Die Verraaier van Dini-Salam
  31. Graf in die Woestyn
  32. Vlamme in die Woestyn
  33. Noodroep uit die Woestyn
  34. Spore van Verraad
  35. Die Raaisel van Aber-El-Mir
  36. 'n Teken in die Nag
  37. Die swaard van Verwoesting
  38. Vuurpeleton... Lê Aan!
  39. Die Bloedbad van Goras
  40. Die Geheim van Fort Laval

Writing as René Stegmann

  • Vrou uit die Vreemde
  • Teen 'n Afgrond
  • Die Vrou van Schoonegevel
  • Doktersvrou op Oude Bosch
  • Die Kampvegter
  • ''Kringe en Kartels''

    Writing as Marius de Jongh

  • Die Waters van Toringberg
  • Die Oë van Okatura
  • ''Son en Smarag''

    Writing as Elske te Water

  • ''Stryd in die Lower''