Henriette Grové

Hester Henriette Venter (1922–2009), best known under her married name Henriette Grové and the pen name Linda Joubert, was an award-winning South African (Afrikaans) writer and dramatist. She received the Hertzog Prize twice, for Drama in 1981 and for Prose in 1984. She was married to the academic and literary critic A.P. Grové.

Youth
Hester Henriette Venter was born in the district of Potchefstroom in the Transvaal on 26 September 1922. She completed her primary and secondary schooling in Potchefstroom.

Training
Studied at the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (Potchefstrooms University College, at the time).

Career
After graduating from university she had a brief career as a school teacher before getting married in 1945 to A.P. Grové, who later became a well-known literary critic and Professor of Afrikaans and Dutch at the University of Pretoria.

Her career as an author kicked off in 1947 when she started publishing, under the nom de plume Linda Joubert, short stories in popular Afrikaans magazines like Die Huisgenoot, Die Taalgenoot, Die Brandwag and Sarie Marais, romantic novels and children's books. She is best known, however, for the dramas and more serious prose published under her married name Henriette Grové. Her popular novels include Meulenhof se Mense and Die Laat Lente. She wrote a large number of drama texts for radio performance and she was awarded her first Hertzog Prize for the radio play Ontmoeting by Dwaaldrif (1980).

Henriette Grové died in Pretoria on 15 December 2009.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
She wrote some stage plays and a large number of radio dramas of which some were adapted for the stage, including Soos Gras is Sy Dae (1951), Die Goeie Jaar, Die Glasdeur and Halte 49. Her novel Meulenhof se Mense was adapted for television and broadcast in 1980.

Published Dramas
1958: Die Goeie Jaar (radio drama)

1959: Die Glasdeur (radio drama)

1962: Halte 49 en twee monoloë (radio drama)

1965 Die Onwillige Weduwee of Sybrandus Saliger: ’n kunsmatige klug in drie bedrywe (stage play)

1975 Toe Hulle die Vierkleur op Rooigrond Gehys het (stage play)

1980 Ontmoeting by Dwaaldrif (radio drama)

Awards, etc
1981: Hertzog Prize for Afrikaans Drama for Ontmoeting by Dwaaldrif and all her other dramatic work.

1984: Hertzog Prize for Afrikaans Prose for Die kêrel van die Pêrel.

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