Breytenbach, Breyten (1939-…), is one of South Africa’s major modern poets. Until the early 1980’s, he wrote mainly in the Afrikaans language (see Afrikaans language). Since then, Breytenbach has written mainly in English. Most of his poetry and prose lies outside conventional categories. Breytenbach was a strong critic of South Africa’s policy of apartheid (racial separation).
Breytenbach was born on Sept. 16, 1939, in Bonnievale, Cape Province. He trained as a painter before turning to writing. In 1961, he settled in Paris, where he exhibited his paintings. In 1964, he published his first volume of poetry Die Ysterkoei Moet Sweet (The Iron Cow Must Sweat). His first volume of prose, Katastrophes (Catastrophes), was published in the same year. These works established his reputation as a writer.
Breytenbach lived in self-imposed exile in Paris until 1975. When he returned to South Africa in disguise in 1975, he was arrested as a terrorist for his antiapartheid views. From 1975 to 1982, Breytenbach served seven years of a nine-year jail sentence. The True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist was published in 1980. This book, written in English, describes his arrest and experiences in prison. During his imprisonment, Breytenbach also wrote A Season in Paradise (1976) and Mouroir: Mirrornotes of a Novel (1983). The book solidified the author’s international reputation. After his release, Breytenbach returned to Paris and became a French citizen.
