cussons

Date: 25 November, 2004

Acclaimed South African poet Sheila Cussons died in Cape Town. Cussons was known for her poetry works in Afrikaans, produced in ten volumes.  Cussons was born on 9 August 1922 in Moravia, near Piketberg in the Cape Province. Cussons matriculated at the Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria before going on to study for a degree in Fine Arts at the University College of Natal in Pietermaritzburg. From 1942 her poems appeared in Die Huisgenoot and later in Standpunte. In 1946 seven of her poems were included in the first Stiebeuel anthology.

Cussons went abroad in 1948 to Amsterdam with her husband CJM Nienaber where she studied graphic art before moving to London where she worked as a journalist. After a divorce from CJM Niebaber, she returned to South Africa for two years and married Spanish businessman Juan de Saladrigas. Together, they moved to Barcelona where Cussons lived for 21 years. Despite being outside the country, she continued to write in Afrikaans. Cussons published ten volumes of poetry over a period of 33 years with her first volume, Plektrum, appearing in 1970. In 1974 Cussons sustained serious burns when a stove exploded in her kitchen leaving her severely injured and hospitalised for 2 years.  She wrote of this experience in Die swart kombuis.

In 1983 Cussons returned to South Africa. Cussons' poetry works earned her awards such as the Hertzog prize, the WA Hofmeyr prize which she won twice and the Ingrid Jonker, Eugene Marais and CNA prizes. Cussons died on 25 November 2004 in Cape Town at age 82.

References:

1. Anon, Author Focus, from Tafelberg Publishers, [online], Available at www.tafelberg.com [Accessed 15 November 2010]

2. Anon, (2004), Sheila Cussons dies from News24, 26 November 2004, [online], Available at www.news24.com  [Accessed 15 November 2010]