Patricia Schonstein facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patricia Schonstein
Born	Patricia Schonstein (1952-03-12) 12 March 1952 (age 73) Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)
Occupation	Author
Spouse(s)	Don Pinnock
Awards	Prix du Marais 2005, Percy FitzPatrick Award 2002

Patricia Schonstein (born in 1952) is a talented writer from South Africa. She also writes under the name Patricia Schonstein-Pinnock. She writes many different kinds of books. These include novels, poems, and stories for children. She also puts together collections of other people's writings.

Her novels often mix real-life events with magical elements. She is well-known for books like Skyline and A Time of Angels.

Patricia Schonstein's stories are often inspired by her own childhood. She grew up in Central Africa. Her books also touch on important historical events. These include the Inquisition (a historical period of religious trials), the Holocaust (a terrible time in history), the Rhodesian War, and apartheid (a system of unfair separation). She writes about children who have suffered in wars in Africa. She also writes about people who have had to leave their homes. She blends these tough realities with myths and magic.

Her books have been translated into many languages. These include Afrikaans, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, and Swedish.

About Patricia Schonstein

Patricia Schonstein was born and grew up in Southern Rhodesia. This country is now known as Zimbabwe. Today, she lives in South Africa. She works full-time as an author. She has a Jewish family background.

Her Education and Mentors

Patricia Schonstein earned a master's degree in creative writing. She studied at the University of Cape Town. Her teacher for this degree was J. M. Coetzee. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003. He has supported much of her writing.

Her poetry has also been praised by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.

Her Work in the Literary Community

Patricia Schonstein is part of the Poetry in McGregor committee. She also presents an award each year. It is called the Patricia Schonstein – Poetry in McGregor Award.

Since 2008, she has been an honorary member of SAFRAN. This group is the Southern African Friendship and Aid Network Sweden. She also worked as a deputy editor for a poetry magazine. It was called Stanzas, and she worked there from 2015 to 2020.

Awards and Recognitions

Patricia Schonstein has won many awards for her books. Here are some of them:

• Her first novel, Skyline, won the French Prix du Marais in 2005. It also won the Percy FitzPatrick Award in 2002. It came in second place for the South African Sunday Times Fiction Award in 2001. The book was also considered for the International Dublin Literary Award in 2002. It was listed as one of South Africa's "Twenty-Five Must-Reads" in 2007. It was also listed in a Swedish book guide called En Bok for alle.
• Her book A Time of Angels took second place for the South African Sunday Times Fiction Award in 2004. It was also considered for the Booksellers’ Choice Award in 2004.
• The Apothecary’s Daughter was listed in the Sunday Times "Read Your Way Through Democracy" in 2014.
• Banquet at Brabazan was considered for the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize Africa Best Book in 2011.
• Patricia Schonstein won the Young Africa Award in 1997. This was for her short stories.

Her Published Works

Patricia Schonstein has written many books for different age groups.

Novels for Young Adults and Adults

• Skyline, published in 2000
• A Time of Angels, published in 2003
• The Apothecary's Daughter, published in 2004
• A Quilt of Dreams, published in 2006
• The Master's Ruse, published in 2008
• Banquet at Brabazan, published in 2010
• The Inn at Helsvlakte, published in 2020

Books for Children

• The Phoebe Book of Poems for Children, published in 2022
• Sing, Africa! Poems and Song for Young Children, published in 1990
• Thobileʼs dream, published in 1991
• Thobile and the Tortoises, published in 1992
• The King Who Loved Birds, published in 1992
• Maggie, Mango & Scottie – An Adventure in Africa, published in 2016
• Ouma's Autumn, published in 1993
• Saturday in Africa : Living History Through Poetry, published in 1996

Poetry Collections

• The Unknown Child: Poems of War, Loss and Longing, published in 2009
• A Gathering of Madonnas, and Other Poems, published in 2001

Fables

• The Naming of He-Who-Has-No-Name, published in 2023

Non-fiction Books

• Xhosa: a Cultural Grammar for Beginners, published in 1994
• Thrown Among the Bones—My Life in Fiction, published in 2022
• Ways of Living: Some Gathered Insights, published in 2024

Anthologies She Has Curated

Patricia Schonstein has also put together collections of poems and stories by other writers.

• Africa! My Africa! An Anthology of Poems, 2012
• Africa Ablaze! Poems & Prose Pieces of War & Civil Conflict, 2013
• Heart of Africa! Poems of Love, Loss and Longing, 2014
• Absolute Africa! An anthology of poems, 2018
• Naturally Africa! An anthology of earth poems, 2019 (Selected with Dan Wylie)
• McGregor Poetry Festival Anthologies (2013-2023)

Her Works in Other Anthologies

Her writings have also appeared in other collections:

• Lovely Beyond Any Singing: Landscape in South African Literature, 2006
• Nice Times! A Book of South African Pleasures and Delights, 2006
• Land i förändring: en bok om det nya Sydafrika, 2004
• Keys, 1998

See also

In Spanish: Patricia Schonstein para niños