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Etienne Leroux

Etienne Leroux

1922 - 1989

Novelist of the avant-garde literary group, the Sestigers

Etienne Leroux is the nom de plume of Stephanus Daniël Petrus le Roux. He was born on 13 June 1922 in Oudtshoorn where he spent his early childhood. His father was a politician and later Minister of agriculture.
Stephanus studied Law at Stellenbosch University (BA, LLB) and worked for a short time at a solicitor's office in Bloemfontein. From 1946 he farmed and lived as a writer on his farm, Ja-Nee, in the Koffiefontein district.
In 1948 he married Renée Malherbe in Stellenbosch and they had three children: Cherié, Helise and Stephen. Etienne and Renée were divorced in 1969. Etienne was married to the pianist, Elizabeth Joubert.
Etienne Leroux was a founding member of the 'Afrikaanse Skrywersgilde' in 1975. He is known as one of the most important (and at the time controversial) writers of the avant garde group of the sixties.
He died on 30 December, 1989, and was buried at the family church yard of Wamakersdrift, of which his farm formed part.

His audience will be the audience that only a good writer can merit, an audience which assembles slowly in one and twos the rumour spreads that here an addition will be found to the literature of our time.
Graham Greene

Book by J C Kannemeyer: Leroux: 'n Lewe, 2008

Awards:

Hertzog Prize for prose for Sewe dae by die Silbersteins 1964
CNA Literary Award 1964 for Een vir Azazel
CNA-Prize 1976 and Hertzog Prize 1979 for Magersfontein, O Magersfontein!
Perskor-prys 1981 for Tussengebied

List of works:

Die eerste lewe van Colet, 1955
Hilaria, 1957
Die mugu, 1959
Sewe dae by die Silbersteins, 1962
Een Vir Azazel, 1964
Die derde oog, 1966
1844, 1967
Isis, Isis, Isis, 1969
Na'va, 1972
Magersfontein, o Magersfontein! 1976
Onse Hymie, 1982
Die Silberstein-trilogie, 1984
(appeared at Penguin as: To a dubious salvation)

Tussengebied (Literêre kritiek, Editor JC Kannemeyer), 1980
Tussenspel (Essays, Editor JC Kannemeyer), 1980

Posthumous Publication:
Die suiwerste Hugenoot is Jan Schoeman (1990) - facsimile edition
18-44 Trilogie, Human & Rousseau, 2008


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