Adam Small

South African poet

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

Adam Small was a talented poet who wrote in the vernacular of the Cape Coloureds. He is recognized for his works that revealed the realities of the lives of nonwhites in South Africa. Small's writings, such as Kanna hy kô hystoe (1965), shed light on the effects of racial discrimination and the complex, often violent nature of life in South Africa. He is considered one of the most significant poets writing in Afrikaans during the 1960s.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

South African literature
African literature - Afrikaans
South Africa - Multicultural literature

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

South African literature
In Afrikaans
…vernacular of the Cape Coloureds, Adam Small was the most talented.
Read More
…vernacular of the Cape Coloureds, Adam Small was the most talented.
Read More
African literature
Afrikaans
Adam Small wrote works, such as Kanna hy kô hystoe (1965; Kanna—He Is Coming Home), that revealed the realities of the lives of nonwhites in South Africa. Ingrid Jonker wrote intensely personal poetry. Breytenbach wrote surreal poetry, his work revealing his struggle with the Afrikaners’…
Read More
Adam Small wrote works, such as Kanna hy kô hystoe (1965; Kanna—He Is Coming Home), that revealed the realities of the lives of nonwhites in South Africa. Ingrid Jonker wrote intensely personal poetry. Breytenbach wrote surreal poetry, his work revealing his struggle with the Afrikaners’…
Read More
South Africa
Multicultural literature
The authors Adam Small and Alex La Guma have written vividly in Afrikaans and English, respectively, of the effects of racial discrimination and of the complex and frequently violent nature of life in South Africa. Many Black and white writers addressing these and other themes have received…
Read More
The authors Adam Small and Alex La Guma have written vividly in Afrikaans and English, respectively, of the effects of racial discrimination and of the complex and frequently violent nature of life in South Africa. Many Black and white writers addressing these and other themes have received…
Read More