Guy Butler

Guy Butler (1918-2001) was a poet, playwright, cultural activist and leading academic.

Biography

Born in Cradock, he trained at Oxford University, fought in the 2nd World War (when he began to write) and became a lecturer in the Department of English at Rhodes University.

From 1953 to 1983 he was professor in and head of the department and had an enormous influence not only on the University, but on South African English culture in general, and particularly South African writing in English. In this respect he fought to have writing by South African authors recognized and included in school and university syllabi.

He died in Grahamstown in 2001.

Contribution to South African letters, arts and theatre

He was the driving force behind the founding of a number of university the departments (Rhodes University Department of Speech and Drama, Linguistics and English Language, and Journalism and Media Studies), helped set up a number of institutes and societies (the Institute for the Study of English in Africa (ISEA), the National English Literary Museum (NELM), the Shakespeare Society of South Africa). Perhaps his most notable achievement however was the founding of the 1820 Settler's Foundation, which led to the the building of the Festival Theatre in Grahamstown and thus to the annual Grahamstown Arts Festival.

Butler was also a leading figure in such organisations as the English Academy, NTO, CAPAB, and a board member of the Oude Meester Foundation for the Arts.

Among his best known plays are Everyman: A Morality Play. A Modernised Version of the Medieval Interlude of the Same Name (1950 - unpublished manuscript held in the NELM archives), The Dam (Van Riebeeck Centenary Award winner, performed by NTO, 1952, published 1953 ), The Dove Returns (performed 1955, published 1956), Remembrance Day (1965), Cape Charade (1968), Take Root or Die (1970 – written for 1820 Settlers’ centenary celebrations),and Richard Gush of Salem (1982).