Hennie Aucamp

(1934-) Prolific and highly regarded writer of Afrikaans short stories, poetry, plays, sketches, lyrics. A lecturer, later professor, in the faculty of Education at the University of Stellenbosch and teacher of creative writing skills. Most important in the history of South African theatre for his espousal of the Afrikaans cabaret – the pre-war German and Dutch political cabaret in particular – as a vehicle for resistance and protest among Afrikaans writers. Besides a number of short plays (including the popular Jan Blom Dans ‘n Mazurka, Blomtyd is Bloeityd , *** and Sjampanje 1988), his three Afrikaans cabarets (styled a Kabaret in Afrikaans) - heavily influenced by Brecht – were developed and produced in association with Herman Pretorius of the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department - have been seminal in establishing the genre and influencing a large number of other writers, and many of the songs have become classic Afrikaans chansons. They are: ****, ****, Sewe Doodsondes [Seven Deadly Sins]. He has won the Hertzog Prize for Literature ** times, and received an Honarary Doctorate from the University of Stellenbosch in 1999.

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