Rykie van Reenen

Rykie and Lindo Webb were close friends
14.3.1991 on Lindo's 80th birthday

Rykie van Reenen

1923 – 2003

Rykie van Reenen

Journalist of renown and author of several books

Rykie van der Byl van Reenen, was born on 31 December 1923, on the farm Waterkloof near Darling. She studied at Stellenbosch University from 1941 until 1945 (BA in English, Latin and Afrikaans, and MA in English, all cum laude).
She began to work for Die Burger in 1945. Later she farmed for a while on Waterkloof and taught part-time school. In 1965 she joined Die Beeld in Johannesburg and was later a senior journalist and deputy editor for Rapport. She wrote the columns Van alle kante for Die Burger and Randakker for Die Beeld and Rapport. A collection of her articles was published in 1980.
Rykie enjoyed hikes and mountain climbing. She retired in 1981, moved to Wynberg and, when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, settled in Yzerfontein, "Darling se strand" (Darling's beach). She died on 28 December 2003, shortly before her 80th birthday.

...undoubtedly the most outstanding Afrikaans journalist of the century (with Pienaar a close second)... (Hermann Giliomee)
... haar woorde-erfenis, waar haar sprankelende persoonlikheid deur haar vingertoppe gevloei het, maak haar in vele koerant-tydgenote se oë die voorste Afrikaanse koerantskrywer van die twintigste eeu. (Johannes Grosskopf)

Awards and Honours:
Scheepers Prize for Youth Literature 1971: Heldin uit die Vreemde
Markus Viljoen Medal for Journalism 1982
Recht Malan Prize for Emily Hobhouse - Boer War letters
Doctor honoris causa, Stellenbosch University 1986

Books:
Heldin uit die vreemde: die verhaal van Emily Hobhouse, Tafelberg, 1970
Emily Hobhouse - Boer War Letters (editor), Human & Rousseau, 1984
Alba Bouwer - Die lang reis van hart tot hart: 'n keur uit haar toesprake (editor), Tafelberg, 1995
M*E*R. `n Kosbare Erfenis.. Briewe van M*E*R 1916-1976 (editor)
Op die Randakker, Cape Town, 1980

Read also Rykie van Reenen - Onblusbaar Ryk van der Byl van Reenen by Johannes Grosskopf at www.boekwurm.co.za.