Stephen Gray (writer) facts for kids

Stephen Gray (born November 30, 1941 – died October 22, 2020) was an important writer and critic from South Africa. He wrote many books, poems, and plays, and also helped edit works by other famous South African writers.

Stephen Gray's Life and Work

Stephen Gray was born in Cape Town, South Africa, on November 30, 1941. He loved learning and went to several universities to study English and creative writing. He attended St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown, the University of Cape Town, and Cambridge University in England. He also studied at the University of Iowa in the United States.

Later, he became a professor of English at the Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg. He taught there until 1992.

What Stephen Gray Wrote About

Stephen Gray was a very busy writer. He wrote many poems and published eight novels. In his stories, he often explored different views on South African history and society. He also looked at ideas about social groups and backgrounds in South Africa.

He wrote articles for a South African newspaper called the Mail & Guardian for many years. Stephen Gray also wrote plays for the theatre. He helped put together collections of works by other well-known writers like Athol Fugard and Herman Charles Bosman.

Stephen Gray passed away on October 22, 2020, in Johannesburg. He was 78 years old.

Stephen Gray's Books and Collections

Stephen Gray wrote many different kinds of books. Here are some examples of his published works:

Novels and Short Stories

• Local Colour. Ravan Press, 1975. ISBN: 0-86975-046-1
• Visible People. R. Collings, 1977. ISBN: 0-86036-046-6.
• Time of our Darkness. Arrow, 1988. ISBN: 0-09-965670-1.
• Born of Man. Gay Men's Press, 1989. ISBN: 0-85449-107-4.

Plays

• Schreiner: A One-Woman Play. David Philip, 1983. ISBN: 0-908396-97-X.

Poetry Collections

• It's About Time. David Philip, 1974. ISBN: 0-949968-21-8.
• Hottentot Venus and other Poems. David Philip, 1979.
• Love Poems: Hate Poems. Bellew Publishing, 1982. ISBN: 0-86036-196-9.
• Selected Poems 1960-92, David Philip, 1994. ISBN: 0-86486-238-5

As an Editor

Stephen Gray also edited many books, bringing together works by other authors.

• Modern South African Poetry. A. D. Donker, 1984. ISBN: 0-86852-056-X.
• The Penguin Book of Southern African Stories. Penguin, 1985. ISBN: 0-14-007239-X.
• The Penguin Book of Southern African Verse. Penguin, 1988. ISBN: 0-14-058510-9.

Other Writings

• Southern African Literature: An Introduction. Barnes & Noble Imports, 1979. ISBN: 0-06-492530-7.
• Accident of Birth: An Autobiography. COSAW Publishing, 1993. ISBN: 1-874879-23-0.
• Life Sentence: A Biography of Herman Charles Bosman. Human & Rousseau, 2005. ISBN: 0-7981-4484-X.

See also

In Spanish: Stephen Gray (escritor) para niños