Antjie Krog: an unrelenting quest for wholeness

Abstract

The Afrikaans poet Antjie Krog has a dominating presence on the Afrikaans literary scene. She has not only written ten volumes of poetry but also two autobiographical works of prose and a drama. Moreover, she is active as a translator and has edited a number of poetry collections. Antjie Krog's œuvre has an autobiographical underpinning: it reflects her own individual history against the background of the socio-political developments in South Africa. In her poetry and prose Antjie Krog reaches out to her fellow South Africans. Reconciliation starts with the awareness of a shared destiny and a common human bond. In all her literary works Antjie Krog communicates a message of trust in man and her utter rejection of Apartheid. Both the prose of Antjie Krog and her poetry express her unrelenting quest for wholeness. She is convinced that a human being cannot exist without other human beings, neither in the private nor in the public domain. Without accepting the other as a fellow human being, without love and compassion an individual cannot experience wholeness. All her works are expressions of the same fundamental conviction.