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South African writer and political activist Nadine Gordimer at the Göteborg Book Fair 2010. Photo by Vogler.

Top 10 Unknown Facts about Nadine Gordimer

Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer and political activist. She received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, recognized as a writer “who through her magnificent epic writing has … been of very great benefit to humanity”.

Gordimer hid stowaways, helped people across the border, passed messages, and assisted those trying to evade the police. She worked tirelessly to free Nelson Mandela from prison, and the two maintained a close relationship until his death.

1. Gordimer was born to Jewish immigrants in springs, South Africa

Nadine Gordimer was born in Springs, South Africa. Her parents were Jewish immigrants; her father was from Latvia and her mother was from England. Born to white parents in a small mining town near Johannesburg, she witnessed the racial discrimination and atrocities the black population was subjected to by the whites.

Even though she never had a natural inclination towards politics, living in South Africa made her interested in the subject as it was something that touched every South African in their daily life.

2. She participated in the war against the Apartheid System through her writings 

Nadine Gordimer at the Göteborg Book Fair 2010. Photo by Boberger.

Gordimer’s writing dealt with moral and racial issues, particularly apartheid in South Africa. Under that regime, works such as Burger’s Daughter and July’s People were banned. Her works dealt negatively with the government of the day. 

She was active in the anti-apartheid movement, joining the African National Congress during the days when the organization was banned and giving Nelson Mandela advice on his famous 1964 defence speech at the trial which led to his conviction for life. She was also active in HIV/AIDS causes.

3. Gordimer began her writing career when she was just nine years old

Gordimer began writing at the age of nine and was just 15 years old when her first work was published. The novel entitled The Conservationist (1974) gave her her international breakthrough.

Gordimer was involved in the anti-apartheid movement early on and several of her books were banned by the apartheid regime. Gordimer has lived and worked in Johannesburg, South Africa, since 1948.

4. She wrote several novels, short stories and Essays

Nadine Gordimer’s works include novels, short stories, and essays. During the 1960s and 1970s, Gordimer wrote several novels set against the backdrop of the emerging resistance movement against apartheid, while liberated South Africa provides the backdrop for her later works, written in the 1990s.

The stories of individuals are always at the centre of her narratives, to external limitations and frameworks. As a whole, Gordimer’s literary works create rich imagery of South Africa’s historical development

5. Gordimer went to the University of the Witwatersrand

Gordimer went to the University of the Witwatersrand where she studied for a year before she dropped her studies and went to Johannesburg in 1948. She was enrolled at a Catholic convent school but seldom attended classes as her mother kept her home most of the time being concerned about her health.

She began writing out of boredom at this time. She published her first story called ‘The Quest for Seen Gold’ in 1937 which appeared in the ‘Children’s Sunday Express. Her first adult fiction was published when she was 16.

6. She wrote several books and featured in several movies

Gordimer wrote several books in her career including; July’s People, Burger’s Daughter, the Conversationist, Mere Bete Kahani, the Pickup Jump and other stories, the Lying Days, Six Feet of the Country, None to Accompany, The Ultimate S, No Time Like the Pr and many more.

She also featured in several movies including; Regarding Susan Sontag, Soft Vengence:Albie Sachs and the new South Africa, Songolo voices of change, Goldblatt, Mulheres Africaans – a Rede invisivel, Amos OZ nature of drinks and many more.

7. Her works earned her several awards and honours in her career

Carlos Menem with Nadine Gordimer. Photo by Victor Bugge.

W H Smith Commonwealth Literary Award for Friday’s Footprint in 1961.
James Tait Black Memorial Prize for A Guest of Honour in 1972. In 1974 her novel The Conservationist was a joint winner of the Booker Prize.
Central News Agency Literary Award for The Conservationist in 1974.

Grand Aigle d’Or (France) in 1975. – Central News Agency Literary Award for Burger’s Daughter in 1979 and July’s People in 1981. – Scottish Arts Council Neil M Gunn Fellowship 1981. -Modern Language Association Honorary Fellow 1984.

Rome Prize 1984. – Premio Malaparte Italy in 1985. Nelly Sachs (Germany) Prize 1985. Bennett Award (US) in 1987.Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for A sport of nature in 1988. – Central News Agency Literary Award for My son’s story in 1990. – Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991.

Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for the best book from Africa in 2002. – Officer of the Legion of Honours in 2007. Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 2009.

8. She initially was never interested in politics

Even though Gordimer was never interested in politics initially, certain incidents like the arrest of her friend Bettie du Toit and the Sharpeville massacre pushed her to enter the anti-apartheid movement.

She also embraced other causes, among them the fight against the spread of the H.I.V. virus and AIDS in South Africa and a writers’ campaign against the country’s punishing secrecy law.

9. Gordimer was married twice in her life and had two children

She was married twice in her life and had two children from the two marriages, one each. She first married Gerald Gavron, a dentist, in 1949. This marriage, though short-lived produced a baby girl and she later divorced her husband Gerald Gavron. 

She married Reinhold Cassirer, an art dealer, in 1954 and had a son with him. This union proved to be a happy one and the couple remained together till her husband’s death in 2001.

10. She died on 13 July 2014, at the age of 90

Gordimer died in her sleep on 13 July 2014 at the age of 90. She died in her Johannesburg home and her family announced her passing away in a statement to the media and the world went into mourning. Gordimer is survived by her two children, Hugo and Oriane Ophelia.

She is widely renowned for her works which earned her the Nobel prize. Her literary works on racism won her a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991. The Sharpeville massacre especially provoked her conscience and she became an anti-apartheid social activist campaigning for the rights of the blacks. 

She was one of the richest people in South Africa with a net worth of around $ 1 million which came as primary income from poet, scientific editor, playwright, writer, novelist, and short story writer.