Breyten Breytenbach
(1939, Bonnievale) is a South-African writer and painter with French citizenship. He studied at the University of Cape Town. He became a committed opponent of apartheid and left South Africa for Paris in the early 1960s. On returning to South Africa in 1975 he was arrested and sentenced to nine years of imprisonment. In his work The True Confessions of an Albino Terrorist he describes aspects of his imprisonment. After his release in 1982 he returned to Paris. Breytenbach wrote poetry, novels, essays and plays. His poems are rich in metaphores and are a complex mixture of references to Buddhism, Afrikaans idiomatic speech, and memories of the South African landscape. Breytenbach is also known as a painter. Many of his paintings portray surreal human and animal figures, often shown in captivity. He has been honored with numerous literary and art awards. Breytenbach is active in different organizations for South-African political exiles.
Past events
In memoriam Henk van Woerden
Painter, writer and non-conformist thinker Henk van Woerden suddenly died in November. He was an advisor and a boardmember of Winternachten. Rudy Kousbroek, Michaël Zeeman, Asli Erdogan, Joost Nijsen and Nicole van Woerden-Müller will read from his work. Breyten Breytenbach will talk about Van Woerden as a painter. Greek music by To Trigono. Dutch/English spoken.
In search of the independent mind - part 3
The evening closes with a discussion between all the participants of the search for the independent mind. Michaël Zeeman chairs the discussion. Dutch spoken.
In search of the independent mind - part 1
Breyten Breytenbach presents us his Manual for the Independent Mind, and discusses this opening essay with Herman Franke and Marja Brouwers. Michaël Zeeman chairs the discussion. Dutch spoken.
