David Vander

David J van der Merwe (writing as David Vander)

Dave was born in the Karoo, South Africa and was raised in Nelspruit.

Dave is married to Esmé and they have two sons, Calvin and Bradley. Their family home is in Cornwall Hill, Pretoria.

Dave has broad and varied interests, including; travel, bird watching, photography, camping, spending time in Kruger National Park, cooking, fly-fishing, reading and playing golf. Dave has been privileged to travel widely around the world which was what first sparked his interest in writing a book. Dave also leads a Life Group in his local church and they run a small annual charity event to support under-privileged orphans.

A life changing moment happened when Dave broke his neck playing rugby in his mid-twenties and narrowly escaping paralysation. This has encouraged him to live life passionately and to always have a positive outlook on life. It has also guided him to his passion to make a difference in the lives of others.

Dave is qualified as a Chartered Accountant, currently working in management consulting. He helps clients solve their business challenges and has a passion for developing the next generation of leaders.

Background to writing “Shudder in the Wall”

The storyline for Shudder in the Wall came to Dave in a vivid dream. The dream included the plot, title, location and main characters. A short while after that, Dave saw a video with a key message of “never regret the things you did not do”. He has fully enjoyed the fulfilment of writing a mystery novel.