Breyten Breytenbach - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Breyten Breytenbach is a South Africa

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 writer

Writer

A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

and painter

Painting

Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...

with French

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...

citizenship

Citizenship

Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...

Biography

Breyten Breytenbach was born in Bonnievale, Western Cape

Bonnievale, Western Cape

Bonnievale is a settlement in Cape Winelands District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa....

, approximately 180 km from 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...

and 100 km from the southernmost tip of Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

at Cape Agulhas

Cape Agulhas

Cape Agulhas is a rocky headland in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of Africa and the official dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. He studied fine arts at the University of Cape Town

University of Cape Town

The University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of...

and became a committed opponent of the policy of apartheid. He left South Africa for Paris

Paris

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...

in the early 1960s. When he married a French woman of Vietnam

Vietnam

Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...

ese ancestry, Yolande, he was not allowed to return: The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act
Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act
The Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, Act No 55 of 1949, was an apartheid law in South Africa that prohibited marriages between people of different races. It was among the first pieces of apartheid legislation to be passed following the National Party's rise to power in 1948...

(1949) and The Immorality Act
Immorality Act
Immorality Act was the title of two acts of the Parliament of South Africa which prohibited, amongst other things, sexual relations between white people and people of other races. The first Immorality Act, of 1927, prohibited sex between whites and blacks, until amended in 1950 to prohibit sex...

(1950) made it a criminal

Crime

Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...

offence

Offense (law)

In law, an offence is a violation of the criminal law .In England and Wales, as well as in Hong Kong the term "offence" means the same thing as, and is interchangeable with, the term "crime"....

for a white person to have any sexual relations

Human sexual behavior

Human sexual activities or human sexual practices or human sexual behavior refers to the manner in which humans experience and express their sexuality. People engage in a variety of sexual acts from time to time, and for a wide variety of reasons...

with a person of a different race

Racism

Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...

.

In France he was a founder member of Okhela, a resistance group fighting apartheid in exile

Exile

Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...

. On an illegal trip to South Africa in 1975 he was betrayed (by the ANC who mistrusted him), arrested and sentenced to seven years of imprisonment

Imprisonment

Imprisonment is a legal term.The book Termes de la Ley contains the following definition:This passage was approved by Atkin and Duke LJJ in Meering v Grahame White Aviation Co....

for high treason

High treason

High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...

: his work The True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist describes aspects of his imprisonment. Released in 1982 as a result of massive international intervention he returned to Paris and obtained French citizenship.

He currently divides his time between Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, Africa, and the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. He joined the University of Cape Town as a visiting professor in the Graduate School of Humanities (from January 2000) and is also involved with the Gorée Institute

Goree Institute

The Goree Institute operates in peace building, development and the promotion of arts and culture in Africa.It was established on June 25, 1992, in the wake of the historic meeting in Dakar, July 1987, between the exile leadership of the African National Congress and a significant group of...

in Dakar

Dakar

Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...

(Senegal

Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...

) and with New York University

New York University

New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...

, where he teaches in the Graduate Creative Writing Program.

The work of Breytenbach includes numerous volumes of poetry

Poetry

Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...

, novels, and essays, many of which are in Afrikaans

Afrikaans

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...

, many translated from Afrikaans to 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...

, and many published originally in English. He is also known for his works of pictorial arts. Exhibitions of his painting

Painting

s and prints were shown in numerous cities around the world including Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

, Cape Town, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, 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...

, Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

, Paris, Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

, Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

and New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

.

Breytenbach was described as the only example of a "nice South African" in the song I've Never Met A Nice South African
I've Never Met A Nice South African
"I've Never Met a Nice South African" is a satirical song originating in a sketch on the British television series Spitting Image. It was written by John Lloyd and Peter Brewis and was sung by Andy Roberts. In 1986 it was commercially released as the B-side of the chart-topping "The Chicken Song"...

. The song was written by John Lloyd

John Lloyd (writer)

John Hardress Wilfred Lloyd CBE is a British comedy writer and television producer. He is the great nephew of John Hardress Lloyd.-Early life and career:...

for the satirical British TV series, Spitting Image

Spitting Image

Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....

.

He is the brother of Jan Breytenbach

Jan Breytenbach

Jan Breytenbach was appointed by the Founder of the South African Special Forces Brigade - General Frits Loots - as the first commander of 1 Reconnaissance Commando - the first unit founded within the South African Special Forces...

, founder of the South African Special Forces

South African Special Forces Brigade

The South African Special Forces Brigade is the only Special Forces unit of the South African National Defence Force ....

, and Cloete Breytenbach, a widely published war correspondent

War correspondent

A war correspondent is a journalist who covers stories firsthand from a war zone. In the 19th century they were also called Special Correspondents.-Methods:...

Poetry in Afrikaans

The Iron Cow Must Sweat (Die ysterkoei moet sweet), Johannesburg, 1964
The House of the Deaf (Die huis van die dowe), Cape Town, 1967
Gangrene (Kouevuur), Cape Town, 1969
Lotus, Cape Town, 1970
The Remains (Oorblyfsels), Cape Town, 1970
Scrit. Painting Blue a sinking Ship. (Skryt. Om `n sinkende skip blou te verf), Amsterdam, 1972
In Other Words (Met ander woorde), Cape Town, 1973
Foot Writing (Voetskrif), Johannesburg, 1976
Sinking Ship Blues, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

1977
And Death White as Words. An Anthology, London, 1978
In Africa even the flies are happy, London, 1978
Flower Writing (Blomskryf), Emmarentia, 1979 (Selected poems)
Eclipse (Eklips), Emmarentia, 1983
YK ('YK'), Emmarentia, 1983
Buffalo Bill, Emmarentia, 1984
Living Death (Lewendood), Emmarentia, 1985
Judas Eye, London - New York, 1989
As Like (Soos die so), Emmarentia, 1990
Nine Landscapes of our Times Bequeathed to a Beloved (Nege landskappe van ons tye bemaak aan `n beminde), Groenkloof
Groenkloof
Groenkloof is a suburb of Pretoria, South Africa.The famous Little Company of Mary Hospital is situated in Groenkloof as well as the Education Faculty of the University of Pretoria. It is also home to other well known establishments,such as Groenkloof Spar, Café 41, Pride of India, Fumo...

, 1993
The Handful of Feathers (Die hand vol vere), Cape Town, 1995 (Selected poems)
The Remains. An Elegy (Oorblyfsels. ´n Roudig), Cape Town, 1997
Paper Flower (Papierblom), Cape Town, 1998
Lady One, Cape Town, 2000 (Selected love poems)
Iron Cow Blues (Ysterkoei-blues), Cape Town, 2001 (Collected poems 1964-1975)
Lady One: Of Love and other Poems, New York, 2002
The undanced dance. Prison poetry 1975 - 1983 (Die ongedanste dans. Gevangenisgedigte 1975 - 1983), Cape Town, 2005
the windcatcher (die windvanger), Cape Town, 2007
Voice Over: A Nomadic Conversation with Mahmoud Darwish, Archipelago Books, 2009

Prose in English

Catastrophes (Katastrofes), Johannesburg, 1964 (Stories)
To Fly (Om te vlieg), Cape Town, 1971 (Novel)
The Tree Behind the Moon (De boom achter de maan), Amsterdam, 1974 (Stories)
The Anthill Bloats … (Die miernes swell op …), Emmarentia, 1980 (Stories)
A Season in Paradise (Een seizoen in het paradijs), Amsterdam - New York - London, 1980 (Novel, uncensored edition)
Mouroir: Mirror Notes of a Novel, London - New York, 1983
Mirror Death (Spiegeldood), Amsterdam, 1984 (Stories)
End Papers, London, 1985 (Essays)
The True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist, London - New York, 1985
Memory of Snow and of Dust, London - New York, 1987 (Novel)
Book. Part One (Boek. Deel een), Emmarentia, 1987 (Essays)
All One Horse. Fiction and Images, London, 1989
Sweet Heart (Hart-Lam), Emmarentia, 1991 (Essays)
Return to Paradise. An African journal, London - New York, 1992 (which won the Alan Paton Award
Alan Paton Award
The Alan Paton Award is a South African literary award that been conferred annually since 1989 for meritorious works of non-fiction. Sponsored by the Johannesburg weekly the Sunday Times, recipients represent the cream of contemporary South African writers who produce works that are judged to...

)
The Memory of Birds in Times of Revolution, London - New York, 1996 (Essays)
Dog Heart. A travel memoir, Cape Town, 1998
Word Work (Woordwerk), Cape Town, 1999
A veil of footsteps, Cape Town, 2008
All One Horse, Archipelago Books, 2008
Mouroir: Mirror Notes of a Novel, Archiepalago Books, 2008
Intimate Stranger, Archipelago Books, 2009
Notes From The Middle World: Essays, Haymarket Books, 2009

External links

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