I. D. du Plessis

I. D. du Plessis
I. D. du Plessis
Born	(1900-06-25)25 June 1900 Cape Town, South Africa
Died	11 December 1981(1981-12-11) (aged 81) Cape Town
Occupation	Poet, writer, lecturer

Izak David du Plessis, who published under the name I. D. du Plessis (25 June 1900, in Cape Town, South Africa – 11 December 1981 in Cape Town), was an Afrikaans-language writer. A successful writer in many genres, he is included among the Dertigers.

Biography

The Afrikaans poet Izak David du Plessis was born on 25 June 1900 at Philipstown and received his education at Steynsburg, Petrusville and later at the Wynberg Boys' High School in Cape Town. After his studies at the University of Cape Town, he was for a time a teacher in Worcester, a journalist in the editorial board of Die Burger and Die Huisgenoot and then lecturer at the Cape Technical College. It was in these years that his interest aose in the social life and cultural products of the Malays. In 1932 he accepted an appointment as a lecturer at the University of Cape Town and in 1935 he was promoted with a thesis on the contribution of the Cape Malay to South African anthem. In the thirties he traveled much abroad, including Europe, East and South America. In 1948 he became head of the Institute of Malay Studies at the Cape Town University and from 1953 to 1963 he served as commissioner and later secretary and adviser for Coloured Affairs, a position that enabled him to do much valuable work for this population group (also for the establishment of the University of the Western Cape for Coloured students, which he was the first chancellor of). In 1937 his anthologies Vreemde Liefde (Strange Love) en Ballades (Ballads) received the Hertzog poetry award, while in 1962 he received the Scheepers award for Youth literature. From the University of Cape Town, he received an honorary degree. On 11 December 1981, he died in Cape Town.

Publications

Du Plessis, I.D. (1931). LIED VAN ALIE En Ander Gedigte. Cape Town: Nasionale Pers.