Alan Paton , 1903 - 1988

Alan Paton is a writer, an activist, and an educator. He was born on January 11, 1903, in Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. As a child, he developed an interest in literature and devoted most of his time to writing, qualities that were later transferred to his adult life. He taught for three years in rural Ixopo, the setting for Cry, the Beloved Country a text that he is identified with and in 1935, he became the principal of Diepkloof, a school for delinquent boys. In 1928, Paton got married and he went on to have two children with his wife. Paton became a founder and member of the liberal Association of South Africa. His works include Cry, the Beloved Country and Too Late the Phalarope was published in 1953 and the major thematic concern in them is anti-apartheid sentiments. On April 12, 1988, Paton died of throat cancer, at his home in Natal, South Africa.

Bio prepared by Divine Che Neba, University of Yaoundé 1, nebankiwang@yahoo.com and Chester Mbangchia, University of Yaoundé 1, mbangchai25@gmail.com

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