Black Butterflies

Ingrid Jonker

ISBN 10: 0798148926 / ISBN 13: 9780798148924

Published by Human & Rousseau (Pty) Ltd, South Africa, Cape Town, 2007

About this Item

When Nelson Mandela read Ingrid Jonker's poem "The child" during his first address in the new South African parliament on 24 May 1994, he called her: ".an Afrikaner woman who transcended a particular experience and became a South African, an African and a citizen of the world." And added: "She was both a poet and a South African. She was both an Afrikaner and an African. She was both an artist and a human being. In the midst of despair, she celebrated hope. Confronted by death, she asserted the beauty of life."The earlier edition of translations from Ingrid's work, "Selected Poems" by Jack Cope and William Plomer, is now out of print, so a new translation will be welcomed by readers. But that this new translation is by two of South Africa's most illustrious authors, Andre Brink and Antjie Krog, that is indeed a special event. What is more, they did the translations with the help of one of the finest English poets in South Africa, Ingrid de Kok. Of their process, Andre writes the following in the Introduction: "In most cases, Antjie and I would each do our own translations of a poem, after which we would meet to discuss and hammer out a second draft; this would then be passed on to Ingrid de Kock for comment and recommendations, before all three of us would meet for prolonged sessions of mixing and matching, of trial and error, before arriving at something like consensus.". A readable copy of the book which may include some defects such as highlighting and notes. Cover and pages may be creased and show discolouration.

Seller Inventory # GOR015050158

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Black Butterflies
• Publisher: Human & Rousseau (Pty) Ltd, South Africa, Cape Town
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0798148926
• ISBN 13: 9780798148924
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Fair
• Weight: 181 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Despite her relatively short life, Jonker left behind a substantial body of work that continues to be celebrated for its lyrical beauty and its fearless confrontation of social and political issues. Her personal life was marked by turbulence, including tumultuous relationships and a brief affair with fellow writer Andre Brink. The complexities of her personal experiences found expression in her poetry, adding layers of depth to her already emotionally charged work. Tragically, Ingrid Jonker’s life came to an end in 1965 when, at the age of 31, she walked into the sea at Drieankerbaai near Cape Town. Her death added a somber chapter to her legacy, and her poetry gained even more attention posthumously. Nelson Mandela notably read her poem “Die Kind” (The Child) during the opening of the first democratic parliament in 1994, acknowledging Jonker’s enduring impact on South African literature and her role in speaking out against injustice.