George Weideman

Who was George Weideman?

George Henry Weideman was a South African poet and writer. Born in Cradock, Eastern Cape, he grew up between the Karoo of the Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape. He matriculated from Namakwaland High School in Springbok.

At the age of nine, he was already interested in learning languages like Magyar and Icelandic, and by the age of thirteen he was already running the school newspaper.

In June 1966, as a second-year Bachelor of Arts student at the University of Pretoria, he published his first collection of poetry entitled "Hondegaloppie", which contained verses about the Karoo, Boesmanland and Namaqualand. "As die son kliplangs spring", published three years later, also contains material that is mostly about the landscape and nostalgia.

In 1970, while he was teaching in Fraserburg, he published "Klein manifes van ’n reisiger", and in 1977, while teaching in Port Elizabeth, he published "Hoera, hoera die ysman". Poetry about love was included in these two: he married Celién Nel from Fraserburg in 1973 while he was staying in Kenhardt. They have two daughters, Melita and Siobhan.