Laurens Van Der Post
Laurens Van Der Post was a South African writer, journalist, and adventurer, born in Philippolis in the Orange River Colony. The thirteenth child in a large family, he experienced a childhood shaped by a close relationship with his black neighbors, which later contrasted with his feelings of isolation during his education. He began his career as a reporter and became an advocate for racial integration in South Africa through his editorial role at the magazine Voorslag, which promoted progressive views but was short-lived due to its controversial stance.
Van Der Post spent significant time in England, where he published his first novel and became involved with notable literary figures like Virginia and Leonard Woolf. His experiences during World War II, including serving as a British intelligence officer and being interned in a Japanese concentration camp, influenced his perspectives on humanity and culture. He is widely recognized for his expeditions into the Kalahari Desert, particularly his interactions with the San people, which culminated in his renowned book, "The Lost World of the Kalahari," and a popular BBC television series. Van Der Post's legacy is marked by his exploration of cultural identity and his passionate discourse on race relations in South Africa.
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Subject Terms
Laurens Van Der Post
Writer
- Born: December 13, 1906
- Birthplace: Philippolis, Orange River Colony (former British colony; now South Africa)
- Died: December 16, 1996
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Laurens Van Der Post was born in Philippolis, a small town in the Orange River Colony in what is now South Africa. His father, Christiaan Willem Hendrik Van der Post had arrived in South Africa from Holland at the age of three. His mother, Mary- Magdalena, or Lammie, could trace her ancestry back to the earliest European settlers in South Africa. The couple had fifteen children, and Laurens was their thirteenth child.
Van Der Post spent his early childhood on the family farm. When he was eight, his father died. Four years later, he entered Grey College in Bloemfontein. He felt isolated from the sense of common humanity he had shared with his black neighbors as a child. In 1925, after leaving college, he obtained his first job as a reporter for The Natal Advertiser in Durban, South Africa. In 1926, he joined two other controversial South African writers, Roy Campbell and William Plomer, as the editor of the magazine Voorslag, a publication that promoted a more racially integrated society in South Africa. Because of its radical views, the magazine was forced to shut down after only three issues.
In 1928, Van Der Post traveled to England where he spent fifteen months. He married Marjorie Edith Wendt, who was the cofounder of the Cape Town Orchestra in 1929. The couple returned to South Africa and Van Der Post began working as a reporter for the Cape Times. He spent his free time in the company of other intellectuals who were opposed to Prime Minister James Hertzog’s policies on separatism. Van der Post published his views on the future of race relations in South Africa in the article South Africa in the Melting Pot.
In 1931, Van Der Post returned to England, where he met Virginia and Leonard Woolf. They published his first novel, In a Province, under the Hogarth Press label in 1934. Later that same year, he bought a dairy farm near Tetbury, England. He began dividing his time between dairy farming and writing for several South African newspapers. During one of several trips back to South Africa, he met and fell in love with actress Ingaret Giffard, whom he later married. During World War II, he served as a British intelligence officer, and spent some time in a Japanese concentration camp. After the war, he returned to South Africa for a time.
In 1950, he headed an expedition into the Kalahari Desert where he spent time with the native tribe, the San, once called the Bushmen. The British Broadcasting Corporation commissioned him to return to the Kalahari in search of the San and his expedition became a popular six-part television series in 1955. In 1958, Van Der Post’s most famous book, The Lost World of the Kalahari was published. Because of the television show and his boks, Van Der Post was considered an expert on the San. Although he published many other books during his lifetime, he is best remembered for his work on the San, and for his outspoken opinions on South African race relations.