Stuart Cloete
Encyclopedia
Edward Fairly Stuart Graham Cloete (23 July 1897 - 19 March 1976) was a South Africa
n novelist, essayist, biographer and short story writer.
, France
to a French mother and South African father. He was educated at Lancing College
, a school which at present gives out a yearly prize in his honour to a student who excels in literature and creative writing. He lived most of his adult life in the town of Hermanus
, in the Western Cape. He published his first novel, Turning Wheels, in 1937: it became a best-seller, selling more than two million copies. Importation of the book was subsequently banned in South Africa, owing to its commentary on the Great Trek
, the event in which the book is set.
Many of his 14 novels and most of his short stories are historically based fictional adventures, set against the backdrop of major African, and, in particular, South African historical events. Apart from Turning Wheels, another prominent novel, 1963's Rags of Glory, is set during the Boer war (with, according to its foreword, much of the historical information based on Rayne Kruger's Goodbye Dolly Gray.) Two of his novels were turned into movies: The Fiercest Heart (1961) is based on his 1955 novel of the same name, and Majuba, released in 1968, is based on his 1941 novel The Hill of the Doves.
His short stories are also much-acclaimed. He published at least eight volumes in his lifetime.
In addition to producing South-African related works, Cloete was among the pioneers of the by-now voluminous literary sub-genre depicting the aftermath of nuclear war
. His 1947 novelette The Blast is written as the diary of a survivor living in the ruins of New York
(published in 6 Great Short Novels of Science Fiction, ed. Groff Conklin
, 1954).
Other written genres to which he contributed included poetry (collected in a volume published in 1941, The Young Men and the Old) and biography (African Portraits, 1946).
He published the first part of his autobiography, A Victorian Son, in 1972 and the second, The Gambler, in 1973. Stuart Cloete died on 19 March 1976, in Cape Town
, South Africa.
Following Cloete's death, the copyright
to his works passed to his widow, Tiny Cloete. After her death in August, 1993, the copyright passed to Cloete's American-South African friend Warren Wilmot Williams. Although Cloete never wished to have any children of his own, he regarded Williams as an "adopted" son. In the late 1960s Cloete was instrumental in launching the young Williams' career as a documentary film producer and media executive. After inheriting the Stuart Cloete literary estate, Warren Williams established a trust to hold the copyright to Cloete's works. The copyright is managed by the British-based company Stuart Cloete Print Holdings Ltd.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n novelist, essayist, biographer and short story writer.
Biography
Cloete was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to a French mother and South African father. He was educated at Lancing College
Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
, a school which at present gives out a yearly prize in his honour to a student who excels in literature and creative writing. He lived most of his adult life in the town of Hermanus
Hermanus
Hermanus is a town with 49,000 inhabitants on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is famous as a place from which to watch Southern Right whales, during the southern winter and spring and is a popular retirement town...
, in the Western Cape. He published his first novel, Turning Wheels, in 1937: it became a best-seller, selling more than two million copies. Importation of the book was subsequently banned in South Africa, owing to its commentary on the Great Trek
Great Trek
The Great Trek was an eastward and north-eastward migration away from British control in the Cape Colony during the 1830s and 1840s by Boers . The migrants were descended from settlers from western mainland Europe, most notably from the Netherlands, northwest Germany and French Huguenots...
, the event in which the book is set.
Many of his 14 novels and most of his short stories are historically based fictional adventures, set against the backdrop of major African, and, in particular, South African historical events. Apart from Turning Wheels, another prominent novel, 1963's Rags of Glory, is set during the Boer war (with, according to its foreword, much of the historical information based on Rayne Kruger's Goodbye Dolly Gray.) Two of his novels were turned into movies: The Fiercest Heart (1961) is based on his 1955 novel of the same name, and Majuba, released in 1968, is based on his 1941 novel The Hill of the Doves.
His short stories are also much-acclaimed. He published at least eight volumes in his lifetime.
In addition to producing South-African related works, Cloete was among the pioneers of the by-now voluminous literary sub-genre depicting the aftermath of nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
. His 1947 novelette The Blast is written as the diary of a survivor living in the ruins of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(published in 6 Great Short Novels of Science Fiction, ed. Groff Conklin
Groff Conklin
Edward Groff Conklin was a leading science fiction anthologist. He edited 40 anthologies of science fiction, one of mystery stories , wrote books on home improvement and was a freelance writer on scientific subjects as well as a published poet...
, 1954).
Other written genres to which he contributed included poetry (collected in a volume published in 1941, The Young Men and the Old) and biography (African Portraits, 1946).
He published the first part of his autobiography, A Victorian Son, in 1972 and the second, The Gambler, in 1973. Stuart Cloete died on 19 March 1976, in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa.
Following Cloete's death, the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
to his works passed to his widow, Tiny Cloete. After her death in August, 1993, the copyright passed to Cloete's American-South African friend Warren Wilmot Williams. Although Cloete never wished to have any children of his own, he regarded Williams as an "adopted" son. In the late 1960s Cloete was instrumental in launching the young Williams' career as a documentary film producer and media executive. After inheriting the Stuart Cloete literary estate, Warren Williams established a trust to hold the copyright to Cloete's works. The copyright is managed by the British-based company Stuart Cloete Print Holdings Ltd.
Novels
- Turning Wheels, 1937
- Watch for the Dawn, 1939
- Yesterday is Dead, 1940
- The Hill of Doves, 1941
- The Young Men and the Old, 1941
- Congo Song, 1943
- The Curve and the Tusk, 1953
- The Fiercest Heart, 1955
- Mamba, 1956
- The Mask, 1957
- Gazella, 1958
- Rags of Glory, 1963
- The Abductors, 1966
- How Young they Die, 1969
Short story collections
- Christmas in Matabeleland, 1942
- The third way, 1947
- The soldiers' peaches, and other African stories, 1959
- The silver trumpet, and other African stories, 1961
- The looking glass, and other African stories, 1963
- The thousand and one nights of Jean Macaque, 1964
- The honey bird, and other African stories, 1964
- The writing on the wall, and other African stories, 1968
- Three white swans; and other stories, 1971
- The company with the heart of gold, and other stories, 1973
- More nights of Jean Macaque, 1975
- Canary pie, 1976
Non-fiction
- African portraits: a biography of Paul Kruger, Cecil Rhodes and Lobengula, last King of the Matabele, 1946
- Against these three, 1947
- The African giant: the story of a journey, 1955
- Storm over Africa: a study of the Mau Mau Rebellion, its causes, effects, and implications in Africa south of the Sahara, 1956
- West with the sun, 1962
- South Africa: the land, its people and achievements, 1968
- A Victorian son: an autobiography, 1897-1922, 1972
- The gambler: an autobiography volume 2, 1920-1939, 1973
External links
- The official Stuart Cloete website, commissioned by Warren Wilmot Williams and launched in 2007. It honors the life of Stuart Cloete and provides a comprehensive resource for information about Cloete's literary works.
- His correspondence,memorabilia and personal library are housed at the National English Literary Museum in Grahamstown, South Africa. http://www.ru.ac.za/static/institutes/nelm//?request=nelm/ where contact details for viewing this material can be found.