Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 - Johan Engelbrecht

Mixael & Kate Bapela of the IEC

Mixael presents

BravoBrava's Personality of the Week is Johan Engelbrecht, award-winning author of a controversial novel centred on Afrikaner racism. The 2007 Jan Rabie/ Rapport Prize* was awarded for his debut work titled ‘kaffertjie.’
Engelbrecht was commended for his contribution to renewal in Afrikaans literature. Says Dr Andries Visagie from the University of KwaZulu/Natal and a judge in this category, "Engelbrecht is responsible for one of the most original debut works in Afrikaans literature’s history"

“The novel gives another dimension to the varied truths about our past under apartheid. The work touches the reader in a manner in which human values are highlighted over racial categorization.

The Hon Mr. Justice Edwin Cameron, Appeal Court Judge and Author of Witness to AIDS, under 'Best Reads of the Year', was quoted as follows in the Sunday Independent (Books Page December 2006): “ ‘kaffertjie,’ by Johan Engelbrecht is a provocatively titled novelisation of a most remarkable true story. The writer's childless aunt and uncle – he was a West Rand Conservative Party councillor in the 1980s – took their helper's infant into their doting care when she became permanently institutionalised. The title is eponymous, and is meant to capture the contradictions in this story of love, devotion and (fortunately brief) betrayal across the chasms of racial ignorance and stupidity. The book is already making waves in its Afrikaans appearance. An English translation, and film rights, must surely follow.”

Born on 16 May 1955, Engelbrecht matriculated at the Florida Afrikaanse Hoërskool and read for a BA in Drama at the University of Pretoria.

During his varied and wide-ranging career eh acted in countless local theatre productions and also established himself as a singer of repute – appearing in many musicals and solo shows – and he also designed for the stage and television.
Engelbrecht lived for many years in the Benelux countries.

*The Jan Rabie Rapport Prize is one of the more prestigious awards in Afrikaans literature, as it recognises the most outstanding debut novel of the year.
The award was given to Johan Engelbrecht for his novel Kaffertjie, a book that, according to its publisher - the independent concern Zulu Planet Publishers (which has ties to the new Books & Leisure magazine) - "embraces this volatile time in a brutally honest fashion and without fanfare". Engelbrecht is pictured here with Tim du Plessis, editor of Rapport.

Engelbrecht was ecstatic to the point of breathlessness, but kept his wits about him long enough to explain that, for him, writing "is like giving birth to barbed wire", and that there were three things he had promised himself he would never do: write a book, dance in the ballet and play the violin in a symphony orchestra. A pause followed, and then - "I'm going to have to start ballet lessons this week".
Finally, delight go the better of him, and he grabbed the nearest person to squeeze - in this case emcee Elana Afrika.

Eric Allen of Jazz Rendezvous and Brian Schimmel (pictured on the left), musical director on the musical Chicago, joins Mixael in the SABC'sCape Town studios to present the second half of BravoBrava.

This week megastar Liza Minelli makes another guest appearance in the sixth episode of the blockbuster snap, crackle, pop-u-lar BravoBrava radio cereal: The DeKocks of Grootvoëlsvlei. South African super star Robert Whitehead-DeKock plays the title role in this saga that highlights the one and only value of our consumerist disposable society.
The inernationally famous theatre and costume designer, Johan Engels-DeKock, conseptualised the sets and outfits. Technical direction is by Bryan Reilly-DeKock and Mixael de Kock-DeKock is the executive producer.

Contact details:

Mixael de Kock

Cell No: 071 226 8063
BLOGSITE: http://bravobrava.blogspot.com/
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Email: mixaeld@gmail.com