Karel Schoeman


Karel Schoeman was a South African novelist, historian, translator and man of letters. Author of twenty novels and numerous works of history, he was one of South Africa's most honoured writers. Schoeman wrote primarily in Afrikaans, although several of his non-fiction books were originally written in English. His novels are increasingly being translated into other languages, notably, English, French and Dutch.

Life and career

Born in 1939 in Trompsburg, South Africa, Karel Schoeman matriculated in 1956 from Paarl Boys' High School. In 1959, he obtained a BA degree in languages from the University of the Free State. In 1961, he joined the Franciscan Order in Ireland as a novice for the priesthood, but then returned to Bloemfontein to obtain a Higher Diploma in Library Studies. During the 1970s, he went into voluntary exile, working first as a librarian in Amsterdam and then as a nurse in Glasgow, Scotland. He returned to South Africa in 1977 and worked until his retirement in 1998 as an archivist at the South African National Library in Cape Town. He then relocated to his town of birth, Trompsburg, where he lived for more than a decade before moving to Bloemfontein. In September 2008, he moved to the Noorderbloem retirement community, where he died on 1 May 2017.
Schoeman is known not only as a novelist, but is equally renowned as an historian and biographer. He has also published translations, several travel books and an autobiography. He won the most prestigious Afrikaans literary award, the Hertzog Prize, three times: in 1971, 1986 and in 1995. The Recht Malan Prize for "excellence in the field of non-fiction books" was awarded to him four times. On the retirement of President Nelson Mandela in 1999, Schoeman was one of only two writers to be awarded the State President Award: Order for Excellent Service. In more recent years, his fiction garnered much praise in France, winning inter alia the prestigious Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger in 2009. In the last years of his life, it was rumored that he was a possible candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
His 1972 novel, Na die Geliefde Land, was made into an award-winning feature film, Promised Land in 2002, with a screenplay by Jason Xenopoulos. Schoeman produced and published several screenplays, including an adaptation of his first novel, Veldslag, some of which were broadcast on South African national television during the 1980s.
Schoeman committed suicide at a retirement center in Bloemfontein, at the age of 77, writing about dying with dignity in his suicide statement. A previous attempt failed when he was 75. He wrote openly about his reasons and plans for ending his life in Slot van die Dag, which was published shortly after his death.

Major works

Novels

Veldslag By Fakkellig ’n Lug vol Helder Wolke Spiraal Op ’n Eiland Na die Geliefde Land Die Noorderlig Om te Sterwe Afrika: 'n Roman Die Hemeltuin Die Reisiger Waar Ek Gelukkig Was ’n Ander Land Afskeid en Vertrek Hierdie Lewe Die Uur van die Engel Verkenning Verliesfontein Titaan: ’n Roman oor die Lewe van Michelangelo Buonarroti
  • ''Skepelinge: Aanloop tot ’n Roman''

Screenplays

Besoek: 'n Teks vir Beeldradio Die Somerpaleis: 'n Teks vir Beeldradio Die Jare: 'n Teks vir Beeldradio Op die Grens Veldslag: 'n Draaiboek Die Vrou wat Alleen Bly: Twee Draaiboeke, consisting of two screenplays: 'n Vrou wat Alleen Bly and ''Hiér Was Huise, Hiér 'n Pad''

Autobiographical works, travel writing and belles lettres

Berig uit die Vreemde: ’n Ierse Dagboek Van ’n Verre Eiland: ’n Tweede Ierse Dagboek Koninkryk in die Noorde: 'n Boek oor Skotland Onderweg: Reisherinnerings Stamland: 'n Reis deur Nederland Die Laaste Afrikaanse Boek: Outobiografiese Aantekeninge Riviereland: Twee Besoeke aan Nederland Deelstad: ’n Boek oor Berlyn Afskeid van Europa: Aantekeninge Slot van die Dag: Gedagtes
  • ''Die Laaste Reis''

Translations into Afrikaans by Schoeman

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

Translations into foreign languages

English

Promised Land, tr. Marian V. Friedman Another Country tr. David Schalkwyk Olive Schreiner: A Woman in South Africa, tr. H. Snijders Take Leave and Go tr. the author
  • An excerpt from Verliesfontein in Chris N. van der Merwe & Michael Rice, A Century of Anglo-Boer War Stories This Life, tr. Elsa Silke At Close of Day: Reflections tr. Elsa Silke

French

En Étrange Pays tr. Jean Guiloineau
  • Three short stories in Caravanes tr. Pierre-Marie Finkelstein La Saison des Adieux tr. Pierre-Marie Finkelstein, Prix Amphi Retour au Pays Bien-Aimé tr. Pierre-Marie Finkelstein Cette Vie tr. Pierre-Marie Finkelstein, Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger Des Voix Parmi les Ombres tr. Pierre-Marie Finkelstein L'Heure de l'Ange tr. Pierre-Marie Finkelstein, Prix Transfuge du Meilleur roman africain Le jardin céleste tr. Pierre-Marie Finkelstein

Dutch

Een Ander Land tr. Riet de Jong-Goossens
  • Two excerpts from Verliesfontein in Ena Jansen & Wilfred Jonckheere, Boer en Brit: Ooggetuigen en Schrijvers over de Anglo-Boerenoorlog in Zuid-Afrika Merksteen: Een Dubbelbiografie tr. Riet de Jong-Goossens Dit Leven tr. Rob van der Veer Het Uur van de Engel tr. Rob van der Veer Verliesfontein tr. Rob van der Veer De Hemeltuin tr. Rob van der Veer

German

In Einem Fremden Land tr. Gisela Stege

Russian

V rodnuju stranu tr. A.K. Slavinska

Historical works

Monographs

Bloemfontein: Die Ontstaan van 'n Stad, 1846–1946 Vrystaatse Erfenis: Bouwerk en Geboue in die 19de Eeu Die Dood van 'n Engelsman: Die Cox-Moorde van 1856 en die Vroeë Jare van die Oranje-Vrystaat Boukkunsskatte van die Vrystaat / Free State Heritage Die Wêreld van die Digter: ’n Boek oor Sutherland en die Roggeveld ter ere van N.P. van Wyk Louw Die Moord op Hesje van der Merwe, 19 Oktober 1837 J.J. Kicherer en die Vroeë Sending, 1799–1806 Armosyn van die Kaap: Voorspel tot Vestiging, 1415–1651 Armosyn van die Kaap: Die Wêreld van 'n Slavin, 1652–1733 The Griqua Captaincy of Philippolis, 1826–1861 The Early Mission in South Africa / Die Vroeë Sending in Suid-Afrika, 1799–1819 Kinders van die Kompanjie: Kaapse Lewens uit die Sewentiende Eeu Early Slavery at the Cape of Good Hope, 1652–1717 Patrisiërs en Prinse: Die Europese Samelewing en die Stigting van 'n Kolonie aan die Kaap, 1619–1715 Seven Khoi Lives: Cape Biographies of the Seventeenth Century Handelsryk in die Ooste: Die Wêreld van die VOC, 1619–1688 Kolonie aan die Kaap: Jan van Riebeeck en die Vestiging van die Eerste Blankes, 1652–1662 Burgers en Amptenare: Die Vroeë Ontwikkeling van die Kolonie aan die Kaap, 1662–1679 Cape Lives of the Eighteenth Century Here en Boere: Die Kolonie aan die Kaap onder die Van der Stels, 1679–1712 Portrait of a Slave Society: The Cape of Good Hope, 1717–1795 Hoogty: Die Opbloei van 'n Koloniale Kultuur aan die Kaap, 1751-1779 Imperiale Somer: Suid-Afrika tussen Oorlog en Unie, 1902-1910
  • ''Swanesang: Die Einde van die Kompanjiestyd aan die Kaap, 1771-1795''

Biographies

In Liefde en Trou: Die Lewe van President Martinus Theunis Steyn en mevrou Tibbie Steyn met 'n Keuse uit Hulle Korrespondensie Olive Schreiner: 'n Lewe in Suid-Afrika, 1855–1881 Only an Anguish to Live Here: Olive Schreiner and the Anglo-Boer War, 1899–1902 Irma Stern: The Early Years, 1894–1933 Die Kort Sendingloopbaan van Sophia Burgmann, 1805–1812 A Thorn Bush that Grows in the Path: The Missionary Career of Ann Hamilton, 1815–1823 Die Wêreld van Susanna Smit, 1799–1863 A Debt of Gratitude: Lucy Lloyd and the 'Bushman Work' of G.W. Stow Dogter van Sion: Machtelt Smit en die 18de-eeuse Samelewing aan die Kaap, 1749–1799 Merksteen: 'n Dubbelbiografie ’n Duitser aan die Kaap, 1724–1765: Die Lewe en Loopbaan van Hendrik Schoeman Twee Kaapse Lewens: Henricus en Aletta Beck en die Samelewing van Hul Tyd, 1702–1755
  • Die hart van die son:`n Roman oor die Lewe van Shakespeare

Edited works

Bloemfontein in Beeld / Portrait of Bloemfontein, 1860–1881 Griqua Records: The Philippolis Captaincy, 1825–1861 The Face of the Country: A South African Family Album, 1860–1910 The Mission at Griquatown, 1801–1821 Witnesses to War: Personal Documents of the Anglo-Boer War from the Collections of the South African Library Die Suidhoek van Afrika: Geskrifte oor Suid-Afrika uit die Nederlandse Tyd, 1652–1806
  • ''Die Bosmans van Drakenstein: Persoonlike Dokumente van die Familie Bosman van Drakenstein, 1705–1842''

Awards and honours