CHRIS VAN WYK - IRASCIBLE GENIUS, a son's memoir

317pp., b/w & colour illus., paperback, Johannesburg, 2024

Memoir by Chris van Wyk's oldest son, Kevin.

"The remarkable story of a man who was a national treasure; it brings us nearer to an understanding of what shaped Chris, his love for family and his storytelling genius." Mandla Langa, author of The Lost Language of the Soul

"A delightful memoir brimming with life and laughter. It offers an extraordinary behind-the-scenes view of a well-loved writer and casts a fascinating light on his work." Ivan Vladislavić, author of The Restless Supermarket

Novelist, short story writer and poet Chris van Wyk was born in Soweto in 1957. His books include Shirley, Goodness & Mercy, a childhood memoir and Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch, a memoir, about growing up in the coloured townships of Riverlea, Newclare and Coronationville during the apartheid era. His first and only book of poems, It Is Time to Go Home, was published in 1979 and won the Olive Schreiner Prize. He went on to write short biographies and children's stories, including A Message in the Wind and Petroleum and the Orphaned Ostrich. He died in 2014.