Dertigers
Quick Summary
The Dertigers, meaning "Thirtyers," were a group of influential Afrikaans poets in South Africa during the 1930s. This literary movement marked a significant shift in Afrikaans literature, moving away from more conservative styles towards experimentation with form and content. Key figures of the Dertigers included W.E.G. Louw, N.P. van Wyk Louw, and Elisabeth Eybers. Their work often explored complex themes and challenged the established norms of Afrikaner society, sometimes causing controversy among more conservative elements. The Dertigers are credited with elevating Afrikaans poetry to new artistic heights and paving the way for future literary developments.123
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 literatureIn Afrikaans
…group of talented poets, the Dertigers (“Poets of the ’30s”), begun by W.E.G. Louw with Die ryke dwaas (1934; “The Rich Fool”). This sensitive poet, with his searing conflicts between God and Eros, exemplified qualities soon to become the new generation’s hallmark. He was followed by his elder brother, N.P.…
Read More…group of talented poets, the Dertigers (“Poets of the ’30s”), begun by W.E.G. Louw with Die ryke dwaas (1934; “The Rich Fool”). This sensitive poet, with his searing conflicts between God and Eros, exemplified qualities soon to become the new generation’s hallmark. He was followed by his elder brother, N.P.…
Read More
South AfricaAfrikaans literatureThe appearance of the Dertigers (“Thirtyers,” poets of the 1930s), a group of talented poets including W.E.G. Louw, signified the new standard in Afrikaans literature. Prominent among the Sestigers, who followed decades later, were the novelists Etienne Leroux and Brink and the poet Breytenbach. Post-Sestigers writers of note include…
Read MoreThe appearance of the Dertigers (“Thirtyers,” poets of the 1930s), a group of talented poets including W.E.G. Louw, signified the new standard in Afrikaans literature. Prominent among the Sestigers, who followed decades later, were the novelists Etienne Leroux and Brink and the poet Breytenbach. Post-Sestigers writers of note include…
Read More
African literatureAfrikaans…Afrikaner poets known as the Dertigers (“Thirtyers,” or writers of the 1930s) infuriated conservative Afrikaners with a new type of poetry. The poetry of W.E.G. Louw, N.P. van Wyk Louw, and Elisabeth Eybers was at the heart of this fertile activity, which centred on experimentation with form. Van Wyk Louw’s…
Read More…Afrikaner poets known as the Dertigers (“Thirtyers,” or writers of the 1930s) infuriated conservative Afrikaners with a new type of poetry. The poetry of W.E.G. Louw, N.P. van Wyk Louw, and Elisabeth Eybers was at the heart of this fertile activity, which centred on experimentation with form. Van Wyk Louw’s…
Read More