André Philippus Brink, a celebrated South African author, was born on May 29, 1935, and sadly passed away on February 6, 2015.
As a pivotal figure in the Afrikaans dissident intellectual and literary movement known as Die Sestigers, which burst onto the scene in the 1960s, Brink played a crucial role in shaping the literary landscape of his native land. Alongside fellow visionaries Ingrid Jonker, Etienne Leroux, and Breyten Breytenbach, Brink embarked on a bold mission to broaden the cultural horizons of Afrikaners by introducing them to the rich and diverse world of international literature.
Noted author and scholar, André Brink, hailed from the picturesque town of Vrede, nestled in the heart of the Free State. His academic prowess was evident from a young age, as he matriculated from Hoërskool Lydenburg in 1952, an impressive feat that saw him achieve seven distinctions, placing him among the top students in the Transvaal region at the time.
Following his secondary education, Brink pursued his passion for Afrikaans literature at the esteemed Potchefstroom University of South Africa. However, he soon decided to broaden his intellectual horizons by venturing abroad, ultimately landing in France where he earned his degree in comparative literature from the renowned Sorbonne University in Paris.
André Brink's formative experience in France, where he witnessed firsthand the egalitarian social dynamics between black students, stood in stark contrast to the segregationist apartheid regime he had left behind in South Africa. This profound cultural awakening had a profound impact on his literary career, as he emerged as a prominent young Afrikaans writer, using his words to boldly challenge the oppressive apartheid policy.
In 1973, Brink's novel Kennis van die aand, which translates to Knowledge of the Night, made history as the first Afrikaans book to be banned by the South African government, a testament to its powerful and subversive content. In response, Brink chose to translate his masterpiece into English and publish it abroad, under the title Looking on Darkness, thereby ensuring that his vital message of resistance and defiance could reach a global audience.
Noted South African writer and academic, André Brink, continued to hone his literary skills by penning works in both Afrikaans and English, a testament to his linguistic versatility and cultural heritage. In 1975, he achieved a significant milestone in his academic career by earning his PhD in Literature from the prestigious Rhodes University.
Despite his professional success, Brink's personal life was marked by tragedy. In 2008, his nephew, Adri Brink, was senselessly murdered in front of his wife and children in their Gauteng home, leaving a lasting impact on the family.
Brink's life was also cut short in a tragic accident. He was on a flight from Amsterdam to South Africa, where he had been honored with an honorary doctorate from the Belgian Francophone Université Catholique de Louvain, when he passed away.
Throughout his life, Brink was married five times and fathered a talented son, Anton Brink, an artist, who followed in his father's creative footsteps.
