Chris Barnard

(19**-) Celebrated Afrikaans novelist, journalist, reviewer, playwright and scriptwriter for radio, film and TV. Born in **, studied at ***. A well-known and respected journalist for many years, was part of the so-called “Sestiger” (“Sixties”) literary movement and a key figure in the Afrikaanse Skrywersgilde (Afrikaans Writers Guild). Initially experimented with theatre of the absurd in the early sixties and made his name as playwright with Pa, Maak vir my ‘n Vlieër, Pa (“Father, build me a kite, Father” – translation entitled Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow), staged by CAPAB in 1971. Other stage plays: Iemand om voor Nag te Sê (“Someone to say Good Night to” – 19*), ‘n Man met Vakansie (“A Man on Vacation” – 19*), Taraboemdery (19*) and Bloed?* (1981?*), Die Swanesang van Majoor Sommer (PACT, 1979), **. Also wrote for radio. Plays include the critically acclaimed Die Rebellie van Lafras Verwey (“The Rebellion of Lafras Verwey” – 1971), which won a prestigious Belgian Radio award*. (It has often also been done most successfully on stage, beginning with PACT in 1975.) Other radio plays include Stasie in die Niet (“Station in the Void”) and Op die Pad na Acapulco (“On the Road to Acapulco”). Film and television texts: Nagspel [“Night Game”], Piet-my-vrou, Die Ballade van Klara Viljee and Paljas), are among the few published scripts available in Afrikaans. Awards include: the Hertzog Prize for prose (197*) and drama (198*)?*. Married to actress and film-maker Katinka Heyns.

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