Lionel Abrahams,
on receiving the Olive
Schreiner Prize for Poetry in 1986.
* * * * *
'His tenacity, his blessed longevity and his delight in the literary have made him the most influential person in South African literary history.'
Michael Gardiner, academic and writer, in a chapter in A WRITER IN STONE (an anthology tribute by 70 South African writers honouring Lionel on his 70th birthday, 1998).
Lionel Abrahams, novelist, poet, editor, critic, essayist, publisher and mentor to many, was born in 1928 in Johannesburg where he has lived all his life. He is well-known in South Africa as an editor and publisher of literary magazines and books by South African authors.
In 1986, the universities of the Witwatersrand and Natal acknowledged his contribution to South African literature by awarding him honorary doctorates of literature. And in 1992, the English Academy of Southern Africa awarded him their Gold Medal for services to English.
Lionel founded and edited the literary magazines Purple Renoster, Quarry (with Walter Saunders), and Sesame. He was the publisher of Renoster Books (launched in 1971 with Eva and Robert Royston) which brought to the world's attention the writings of Oswald Mtshali and Wally Serote, publishing their first books. With Patrick Cullinan, he ran Bateleur Press, launched in 1974.
Note: Lionel's involvement in publishing is aptly described in Michael Gardiner's article, Time to talk: Literary magazines in the Pretoria/Johannesburg region, 1956 TO 1978. (PDF document available on the DONGA web site [link].
Lionel has been a writing teacher for many years, working from artist Bill Ainslie's studios (later to become the Johannesburg Art Foundation). Lionel has been a tireless mentor to many Johannesburg writers.
Another significant achievement is that in 1956, he began editing the then unpublshed work of the short story teller, Herman Charles Bosman, producing six volumes of his work over a period of twenty years. As a young man, Bosman had been Lionel's mentor; the world has Lionel to thank for bringing Bosman's work to prominence.
