Stephen Gray (writer)
Stephen Gray was a South African writer and critic.
Career
Gray was born in Cape Town on 30 November 1941. He studied at St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown, and later at the University of Cape Town, Cambridge University, England, and the University of Iowa, US. He was also awarded a D. Litt and d. Phil. by Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg. Until 1992, he was Professor of English at the Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg.Gray was a prolific poet and published eight novels. Recurrent themes include attitudes to homosexuality and the many rewritings of history in South Africa, including examining attitudes to class and race. His literary journalism appeared in the South African weekly newspaper, the Mail & Guardian, from the 1990s to the 2010s. He also wrote for the theatre and edited collections of work by Athol Fugard and Herman Charles Bosman.
Gray died on 22 October 2020 in Johannesburg at the age of 78.
Published works
Novels and short stories
Local Colour. Ravan Press, 1975. Visible People. R. Collings, 1977..Caltrop's Desire. Africa Book Centre, 1980..Time of Our Darkness. Arrow, 1988..Born of Man. Gay Men's Press, 1989..War Child. Serif, 1994..My Serial Killer and other Short Stories. Jacana Media, 2005.Plays
Schreiner: A One-Woman Play. David Philip, 1983..Poetry
It's About Time. David Philip, 1974..Man’s Gold. Egon Guenther, 1978. With 28 woodcuts by Cecil Skotnes.Hottentot Venus and other Poems. David Philip, 1979.Love Poems: Hate Poems. Bellew Publishing, 1982..Apollo Café and Other Poems, 1982-89. David Philip, 1989..Season of Violence, Justified Press, 1992. Selected Poems 1960-92, David Philip, 1994. Gabriel's Exhibition, Mayibuye Books, 1998.As editor
- C. Louis Leipoldt. Stormwrack. David Philip, 1980..Modern South African Poetry. A. D. Donker, 1984..The Penguin Book of Southern African Stories. Penguin, 1985..The Penguin Book of Southern African Verse. Penguin, 1988..South Africa Plays: New South African Drama. Nick Hern, 1994..
- Charles Rawden Maclean alias John Ross. The Natal Papers of "John Ross". U of Natal P, 1996..