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25 January 2005

The passing away of K Sello Duiker is a great loss to the literary world. He was a writer of enormous talent, one willing to push the literary boundaries and unafraid to express himself through challenging subject matter which he tackled in his books. His books explored, among other things, what it means to be young in South Africa, as when he wrote about street children in his first novel; and also about reconstructing one's identity in a world where so much is changing and uncertain.

As when we lost the brilliant jazz pianist, Moses Taiwa Molelekwa, it makes us appreciate how fragile life is.

In his short life, Duiker had garnered recognition as a novelist with original ideas. His first novel "Thirteen Cents" was awarded the 2001 Commonwealth Writer's Prize for Best First Book, African Region. His second book, "The Quiet Violence of Dreams," recreated South Africa through the eyes of its young protagonist Tshepo, the better to enable the reader to get to grips with a shifting world and multiple identities, a situation that confronts many young all over the world. The book scooped the Herman Charles Bosman Award for English.

Recently Duiker told City press newspaper that he writes books that he would have liked to read when he was growing up. He was definitely a rising star, a chronicler of our complex world. He leaves a wide gap.

Our deepest condolences to his family, friends and the arts community.

For more information please contact:
Andile Xaba
Cell: 082 377 6627

Premi Appalraju

Issued by: Department of Arts and Culture
25 January 2005