Elizabeth Weber (born 18 June 1923) is the pen-name of Elizabeth Marais (née Elizabeth Olivier).[1] She flourished during a short, intense period of high-quality literary production in Afrikaans between the years 1949 and 1952 (see Bibliography below), after which, apart from translations of children’s literature from English into Afrikaans, and nursery stories in Afrikaans published sometime thereafter, she disappeared from public view.[2]
She was born on 18 June 1923 in Germiston, a small city on the East Rand, to the east of Johannesburg.[3] She matriculated in 1939 from the local English high school, and thereafter took the BA degree at the University of the Witwatersrand with Afrikaans, English and Classics as majors. After a year at a teachers’ training college, she taught Afrikaans until the end of 1947, when she left to work in radio-broadcasting at the Afrikaans Language section of the BBC in London. After a three-year stay abroad, she returned to Johannesburg to an office job with a publisher and book distribution organization, probably the now defunct APB (Afrikaans Pers-Boekhandel) whose headquarters were at 769 Joubert Street in Johannesburg, South Africa.[2] Significantly, the author published her entire oeuvre through APB. She then returned to teaching, after which nothing more is recorded of her work or whereabouts.
She married Mr. Sarel Marais, and had two sons of that union.[1] She also had one brother, the Reverend Phil Olivier of Cape Town, who was also an author, and a younger sister, who dedicated her life to music.[3]
She received honourable mention from the scions of Afrikaans literary critique, Nienaber, Senekal, and Bothma,[4] who, writing in the early 1950s, stated, “... amongst the many writers (especially authoresses) in the field of complex love relationships, Elizabeth Weber, with her understanding of how complex relationships develop, and her gift for being able to express ‘the relative’ in human relations, has produced substantive literary material ...”.
Waar is die liefde?Edit
Possibly her most acclaimed work, Waar is die liefde? was published in 1950 by APB in their Môrester series. The novel has, as mise-en-scène, the private cabins and decks of a liner en route from Cape Town to England where happenstance and fate all play havoc with a marriage under stress. As a book critic of the now-defunct newspaper, Die Vaderland, wrote, “What the author offers here is presumably the reworking of a trip that she herself had made. It is clear that Elizabeth Weber has a pair of wide-awake, wide-open eyes. She has the ability to rapidly distil and process her observations, and then, in elegant style, to express them.[5] The density of the language, the torrent of delicate and fine observations, the aura of sense, feeling and sentiments, and the angst of self-awareness in her writing are all reminiscent of the style and intent of Marcel Proust in Remembrance of Things Past".[2]
BibliographyEdit
NovelsEdit
Weber, E. (1949). Die wëe van haar liefde. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel)
Weber, E. (1950). Waar is die liefde? Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel).
Weber, E. (1951). En toe het jy gekom. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel).
Weber, E. (1952). Ons jaag skimme na. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel).
Compilation of short storiesEdit
Weber, E. (1952). Die hart van ‘n vrou. Leesgenotreeks Nr. 3. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel):
"Die ontmoeting." pp. 5-21.
"Willempie." pp. 21-31
"Die verduideliking." pp. 32-42
[missing information. pp. 42-54]
"Tannie Louise." pp. 54-68
Translations of children’s literatureEdit
Weber, E. (19- ?). Black Beauty. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel).
Weber, E. (19- ?). Robinson Crusoe. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel).
Weber, E. (1957). Die verhaal van Hiawatha. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse P-Boekhandel).
Children’s nursery talesEdit
Weber, E. (19- ?). Sprokies. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel).
Weber, E. (19- ?). Tyd om te speel. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel).
Weber, E. (19- ?). Hokus Pokus. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel).
Weber, E. (19- ?). My oulike baba. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel).
Weber, E. (19- ?). My sprokie-teater. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel).
ReferencesEdit
^ abWeber, E. (1957). “Ek is bly ek lyk nie meer mooi nie”. Unidentified newspaper (probably Die Vaderland) dated 27 September 1957 held in the archives of the NALN (Nationale Afrikaanse Letterkundige Museum Navorsingsentrum) President Brand Street, Bloemfontein (Orange Free State Province), South Africa.
^ abcWeber, E. Where is love? Translated by Colyn Davey. Work-in-progress.
^ abWeber, E. (undated, circa 1951). "Biographie: Elizabeth Weber." Two-page A4 typewritten manuscript held in the archives of the NALN (Nationale Afrikaanse Letterkundige Museum Navorsingsentrum) President Brand Street, Bloemfontein (Orange Free State Province) South Africa.
^Nienaber, P.J., Senekal, J.H. and Bothma, T.C. (no date). Mylpale in die geskiedenis van die Afrikaanse letterkunde. Second revised edition. Johannesburg: APB (Afrikaanse Pers-Boekhandel, pp. 177-178. Translated by Colyn Davey.
^Die Vaderland (1950). “Liefde wat bloei op ‘n boot”. Book review in “Oor Boeke” in Die Vaderland, 19 December 1950. Translated by Colyn Davey.
October 20, 2023
elizabeth, weber, those, similar, name, elizabeth, webber, disambiguation, born, june, 1923, name, elizabeth, marais, née, elizabeth, olivier, flourished, during, short, intense, period, high, quality, literary, production, afrikaans, between, years, 1949, 195. For those of a similar name see Elizabeth Webber disambiguation Elizabeth Weber born 18 June 1923 is the pen name of Elizabeth Marais nee Elizabeth Olivier 1 She flourished during a short intense period of high quality literary production in Afrikaans between the years 1949 and 1952 see Bibliography below after which apart from translations of children s literature from English into Afrikaans and nursery stories in Afrikaans published sometime thereafter she disappeared from public view 2 Elizabeth Weber Contents 1 Biography 2 Waar is die liefde 3 Bibliography 3 1 Novels 3 2 Compilation of short stories 3 3 Translations of children s literature 3 4 Children s nursery tales 4 ReferencesBiography EditShe was born on 18 June 1923 in Germiston a small city on the East Rand to the east of Johannesburg 3 She matriculated in 1939 from the local English high school and thereafter took the BA degree at the University of the Witwatersrand with Afrikaans English and Classics as majors After a year at a teachers training college she taught Afrikaans until the end of 1947 when she left to work in radio broadcasting at the Afrikaans Language section of the BBC in London After a three year stay abroad she returned to Johannesburg to an office job with a publisher and book distribution organization probably the now defunct APB Afrikaans Pers Boekhandel whose headquarters were at 769 Joubert Street in Johannesburg South Africa 2 Significantly the author published her entire oeuvre through APB She then returned to teaching after which nothing more is recorded of her work or whereabouts She married Mr Sarel Marais and had two sons of that union 1 She also had one brother the Reverend Phil Olivier of Cape Town who was also an author and a younger sister who dedicated her life to music 3 She received honourable mention from the scions of Afrikaans literary critique Nienaber Senekal and Bothma 4 who writing in the early 1950s stated amongst the many writers especially authoresses in the field of complex love relationships Elizabeth Weber with her understanding of how complex relationships develop and her gift for being able to express the relative in human relations has produced substantive literary material Waar is die liefde EditPossibly her most acclaimed work Waar is die liefde was published in 1950 by APB in their Morester series The novel has as mise en scene the private cabins and decks of a liner en route from Cape Town to England where happenstance and fate all play havoc with a marriage under stress As a book critic of the now defunct newspaper Die Vaderland wrote What the author offers here is presumably the reworking of a trip that she herself had made It is clear that Elizabeth Weber has a pair of wide awake wide open eyes She has the ability to rapidly distil and process her observations and then in elegant style to express them 5 The density of the language the torrent of delicate and fine observations the aura of sense feeling and sentiments and the angst of self awareness in her writing are all reminiscent of the style and intent of Marcel Proust in Remembrance of Things Past 2 Bibliography EditNovels Edit Weber E 1949 Die wee van haar liefde Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Weber E 1950 Waar is die liefde Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Weber E 1951 En toe het jy gekom Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Weber E 1952 Ons jaag skimme na Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Compilation of short stories Edit Weber E 1952 Die hart van n vrou Leesgenotreeks Nr 3 Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Die ontmoeting pp 5 21 Willempie pp 21 31 Die verduideliking pp 32 42 missing information pp 42 54 Tannie Louise pp 54 68Translations of children s literature Edit Weber E 19 Black Beauty Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Weber E 19 Robinson Crusoe Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Weber E 1957 Die verhaal van Hiawatha Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse P Boekhandel Children s nursery tales Edit Weber E 19 Sprokies Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Weber E 19 Tyd om te speel Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Weber E 19 Hokus Pokus Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Weber E 19 Veels geluk Hettie Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Weber E 19 My oulike baba Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel Weber E 19 My sprokie teater Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel References Edit a b Weber E 1957 Ek is bly ek lyk nie meer mooi nie Unidentified newspaper probably Die Vaderland dated 27 September 1957 held in the archives of the NALN Nationale Afrikaanse Letterkundige Museum Navorsingsentrum President Brand Street Bloemfontein Orange Free State Province South Africa a b c Weber E Where is love Translated by Colyn Davey Work in progress a b Weber E undated circa 1951 Biographie Elizabeth Weber Two page A4 typewritten manuscript held in the archives of the NALN Nationale Afrikaanse Letterkundige Museum Navorsingsentrum President Brand Street Bloemfontein Orange Free State Province South Africa Nienaber P J Senekal J H and Bothma T C no date Mylpale in die geskiedenis van die Afrikaanse letterkunde Second revised edition Johannesburg APB Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel pp 177 178 Translated by Colyn Davey Die Vaderland 1950 Liefde wat bloei op n boot Book review in Oor Boeke in Die Vaderland 19 December 1950 Translated by Colyn Davey Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Elizabeth Weber amp oldid 1136245396, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
