Marita van der Vyver

Marita van der Vyver (1958- ) is an Afrikaans author.

Biography

She was born in Cape Town on 6 May 1958 and grew up in Bellville, Menlo Park (Pretoria) and Nelspruit. In 1975 she won a study bursary in a national Afrikaans poetry competition for matric pupils, with which she took a BA degree at Stellenbosch University, inter alia participating in D.J. Opperman's famous poetry workshops between 1976-1978. This was followed by an honours degree in 1978. She later also complete her master's degree in journalism there.

Having spent a year travelling in Europe, she then began working as a reporter for Die Burger, a copywriter for Leserskring (a book club) and a feature writer for the woman's journal Sarie.

In the 1980s she began writing a number of children's stories (e.g. Van Jou Jas) and two children's novels (Tien vir 'n vriend in 1987 and Eenkantkind in 1991).

In 1992 she wrote her first novel for adults, the hugely successful Griet Skryf 'n Sprokie - an award-winning work that was later turned into an equally successful play.

She is married Alain Claisse and the couple have lived in rural France since 1999 with their four children, three sons and a daughter. She continues writing and publishing articles, stories and novels.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

In 1978, while studuying at Stellenbosch, she played the role of "Isabella" in the Afrikaanse Studiekring (ASK) production of Marlene van Niekerk's one-act play Die Duiwel, Sy Handlanger en die Drie Ligtekooie ("The Devil, his helper and the three prostitutes". (Wrongly billed as Marieta van der Vyver in the programme.)

Her 1992 novel Griet Skryf 'n Sprokie was adapted as a very successful play by Pierre van Pletzen and performed at various theatres and festivals in 1997, directed by Lizz Meiring.