Elisabeth Eybers
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth Françoise Eybers (16 February 1915 – 1 December 2007), was a South African poet
. Her poetry was mainly in Afrikaans, although she has translated some of her own work (and those of others) into English
.
Eybers was born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal
. She grew up in the town of Schweizer-Reneke, where her father was a Nederduits-Hervormde (Dutch Reformed
) minister. After completing her high school
studies there at the age of 16, she enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand
for a Bachelor of Arts
degree
, which she achieved cum laude.
After her graduation she became a journalist
. In 1937 Eybers married the businessman Albert Wessels
, with whom she had three daughters and a son. Counted among the so-called Dertigers
, she became the first Afrikaans woman to win the Hertzog Prize
for poetry in 1934. She won the prize again in 1971.
Her work has received many other awards in both South Africa and the Netherlands, including the Constantijn Huygens Prize
in 1978 and the P. C. Hooft Award
in 1991.
Eybers' first collection of poems Belydenis in die Skemering (Confession in the twilight) was published in 1936. Her second collection, entitled Die Stil Avontuur (The silent adventure) was published in 1939 and was mainly about being a mother.
Die Vrou en ander verse (The woman and other poems) was published in 1945 while her fourth poetry collection, Die Ander Dors (The other thirst) was published in 1946.
Many other poetry collections followed regularly, including:
More recent works include the bilingual Verbruikersverse/Consumer's verse (1997) en Winter-surplus (1999).
Translations of her poems have also been published in German
, French
, Italian
and Hebrew
.
The South African composer Cromwell Everson
composed a song using Eybers' poem "Die Vreemde Dae".
From her divorce in 1961 until her death, she lived in Amsterdam
, Netherlands
.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. Her poetry was mainly in Afrikaans, although she has translated some of her own work (and those of others) into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Eybers was born in Klerksdorp, Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
. She grew up in the town of Schweizer-Reneke, where her father was a Nederduits-Hervormde (Dutch Reformed
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
) minister. After completing her high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
studies there at the age of 16, she enrolled at the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
for a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
, which she achieved cum laude.
After her graduation she became a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. In 1937 Eybers married the businessman Albert Wessels
Albert Wessels
Albert Wessels was a South African industrialist and the founder of Toyota South Africa.Toyota South Africa can trace its roots back to 1961, when Wessels obtained a permit to import ten Toyopet Stout pickup trucks from Japan...
, with whom she had three daughters and a son. Counted among the so-called Dertigers
Dertigers
The Dertigers, or "writers of the thirities," are a group of Afrikaans-language South African poets who achieved new heights of eloquence in the young language's early decades of the 20th century....
, she became the first Afrikaans woman to win the Hertzog Prize
Hertzog Prize
The Hertzog Prize or is an annual award given to Afrikaans-language writers by the South African Academy for the Sciences and Arts , formerly the South African Academy for Language, Literature and Arts...
for poetry in 1934. She won the prize again in 1971.
Her work has received many other awards in both South Africa and the Netherlands, including the Constantijn Huygens Prize
Constantijn Huygens Prize
The Constantijn Huygens Prize is a Dutch literary award.-History:Since 1947, it has been awarded each year for an author's complete works by the Jan Campert Foundation , a foundation named in honor of the Dutch writer Jan Campert who died while helping Jews during WWII...
in 1978 and the P. C. Hooft Award
P. C. Hooft Award
The P.C. Hooft Award is a Dutch language literary oeuvre award, given annually. The award is alternately given for prose , essays and poetry....
in 1991.
Eybers' first collection of poems Belydenis in die Skemering (Confession in the twilight) was published in 1936. Her second collection, entitled Die Stil Avontuur (The silent adventure) was published in 1939 and was mainly about being a mother.
Die Vrou en ander verse (The woman and other poems) was published in 1945 while her fourth poetry collection, Die Ander Dors (The other thirst) was published in 1946.
Many other poetry collections followed regularly, including:
- Tussensang (In-between song), 1950
- Helder Halfjaar (Bright half-year), 1956
- Versamelde Gedigte (Collected poems), 1957
- Neerslag (Precipitation), 1958
- Balans (Balance), 1962
- Onderdak (Under shelter), 1965
- Kruis of Munt (Head or tail), 1973
More recent works include the bilingual Verbruikersverse/Consumer's verse (1997) en Winter-surplus (1999).
Translations of her poems have also been published in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
.
The South African composer Cromwell Everson
Cromwell Everson
Cromwell Everson was primarily known as a composer during his lifetime. He was brought up as an Afrikaner by his mother, Maria De Wit and father, Robert Everson. He continued this tradition and all his children were brought up as Afrikaners....
composed a song using Eybers' poem "Die Vreemde Dae".
From her divorce in 1961 until her death, she lived in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.