Abraham Nicholas ‘Ronnie’ Phillips awarded the Patrick Petersen Gedenkprys | André Brink
by Karina on Nov 29th, 2008 Tweet
Last night, author Abraham Nicholas ‘Ronnie’ Phillips was awarded the Patrick Petersen Gedenkprys at the Breytenbach Centre in Wellington.
Abraham Phillips debut novel, Die Verdwaalde Land, was published by Queillerie in 1992. Since then, he has published Erfenis van die Noodlot (Queillerie, 1993), Die Messiasbende (Queillerie, 1997), as well as Die Avonture van Rocky Roy, Die Yesterman van die Witblokke and Die Roos van Doringdal. Next year in April, Lapa will publish his latest novel, Die Evangelis van Kaggelsberg.
Previous recipients of the Patrick Petersen Gedenkprys:
Adam Small (2000)
Elsa Joubert (2001)
AHM Scholtz (2002)
Marzanne Leroux van der Boon (2003)
Ivan Sylvester (2004)
Peter Braaf (2004)
Abraham de Vries (2005)
Riana Scheepers (2006)
Willem Fransman Jr (2007)
Yesterday, Die Burger published an article about Abraham Phillips and the prize:
Skrywersvereniging vereer Phillips
Die skrywer Abraham Phillips (63) neem van­aand om 20:00 die Patrick Petersen-gedenkprys in ontvangs in die Breytenbach-sentrum in Wellington waar ­André Brink ook oor hom en sy werk die woord sal voer. Die toekenningsgeleentheid van die Afrikaanse Skrywers­vereniging (ASV), wat oop is vir ­alle belang­stellendes, het ten doel om, in die woorde van die ASV-voorsitter, Willem Fransman jr., “die ongeregtighede van die ­ver­lede reg te gestel”.
Dit is woorde wat baie ­beteken vir Phillips wat talle teenslae ­deur­gemaak het. In sy bio­grafiese ­verhaal Die Verdwaalde Land van 1992 vertel hy van die moord op sy broer Selula en van die Mejavie-gesin se lewe.
Brink het die manuskrip ­ge­lees en die belangrikheid van die boek dadelik besef. Hettie Scholtz, tóé by Queillerie-uitgewers, het dit uitgegee. Phillips het nie die storie geskryf net omdat sy broer vermoor is nie, “maar om vas te stel of daar nog enige regverdigheid en geregtigheid in hierdie land ­bestaan”. Só het hy in 1995 op die Tweede Swart Skrywersim­po­sium in Paternoster gesê.
To read on click here: “Skrywersvereniging vereer Phillips”
Tags: Abraham de Vries, Abraham Nicholas 'Ronnie' Phillips, Abraham Nicholas Phillips, Abraham Phillips, Adam Small, Afrikaans, Afrikaanse Skrywesvereniging, AHM Scholtz, Andre Brink, ASV, Breytenbach Centre, Breytenbach Sentrum, Die Avonture van Rocky Roy, Die Burger, Die Evangelis van Kaggelsberg, Die Messiasbende, Die Roos van Doringdal, Die Verdwaalde Land, Die Yesterman van die Witblokke, Elsa Joubert, Erfenis van die Noodlot, Events, Fiction, Hettie Scholtz, Ivan Sylvester, Lapa, Marzanne Leroux van der Boon, Patrick Petersen, Patrick Petersen Gedenkprys, Peter Braaf, Queillerie, Riana Scheepers, Ronnie Phillips, Skrywersvereniging vereer Phillips, South Africa, Wellington, Willem de Vries, Willem Fransman Jr
November 29th, 2008 @14:07 #
Great work, Karina. Can you tell us more about the prize?
November 29th, 2008 @15:41 #
I wish I could, but my poor Afrikaans stands in the way. I just know that the prize is in honour of the writer Patrick Petersen who died in a car accident. As far as I know, there is no money attached to it, but looking at the previous recipients, I would say that it is a very prestigious recognition.
It was very special to have Petersen's only son at the event last night. He presented the prize to Phillips.
I believe Phillips's next novel - Die Evangelis van Kaggelsberg - promises to be quite something.
Maybe the Burger article says more...