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Tom Dreyer

Author. Poet.  

Bio

BIO

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Tom Dreyer is a South African novelist and poet writing in both Afrikaans and English. His novels include Erdvark-fontein, Stinkafrikaners, Equatoria, The Long Wave and Dorado. His first collection of poetry, Nou in infrarooi, appeared in 2023, to critical acclaim.  

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His work has been awarded with, or shortlisted for, a variety of South African literary awards. Nou in infrarooi received the 2024 ATKV Poetry Prizel it was shortlisted for the University of Johannesburg Literary Prize and is currently on the longlist of the South African Literary Awards (Poetry). 

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Tom holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town. He is a fellow of the University of Iowa's International Writing Program, and has been writer-in-residence at universities and institutes across the world.

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MEDIA

KODACHROME
LEESD!T ONDERHOUD
 

BOOK LAUNCH
THE LONG WAVE / DORADO

AUTHOR'S PROFILE

I WISH I'D SAID

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BOOKS

ATKV Prys vir Poesie 2024

UJ Prys vir Letterkunde - Kortlys

SALA Prys (Poësie) - Langlys 

 

"Een van die verrassendste en prikkelendste kragtoere in die

geskiedenis van die Afrikaanse digkunsdebuut."

​​  -  Charl-Pierre Naude, LitNet

IN THE PRESS

LOF VIR NOU IN INFRAROOI

Net soms slaan die lees van 'n debuutbundel 'n mens se voete onder jou uit en jou asem skoon weg. Nou in infrarooi is een van hulle en miskien die indrukwekkendste debuut van die afgelope dekade of twee

Dreyer se verse … is soos Gert Vlok Nel wat grootgeword en sy nostalgie ingegroei het, T.T. Cloete wat can-can, ekstaties en verwonderd. Soos Leonard Cohen wat sak en pak Stellenbosch toe verhuis het

"Een van die verrassendste en prikkelendste kragtoere in die geskiedenis van die Afrikaanse digkunsdebuut.

CHARL-PIERRE NAUDE

FANIE OLIVER

NETWERK24
 

LITNET
 

DEBORAH STEINMAIR

VRYE WEEKBLAD

 

LOF VIR KODACHROME

Ek is mal oor Tom Dreyer se Kodachrome.

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Hou van die manier waarop sy kop werk. Meneer, jy moet daai skedel aan die Smithsonian skenk eendag, dit gaan hulle dekades lank besig hou.

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Die 90 stukke word ’n lewendige volkleur legkaart van Dreyer se lewe en uiteindelik vat hy veel meer as net sy lewe vas. In glorieuse Eastman Kodak branded chroom-gebaseerde kleur sien ons sy gedagtes beweeg, spring en stilte vind. Die legkaart is nie tasbaar nie, dis vlietend en gebonde aan die beusel en blerts van die geheue.

Die flitse is perfekte woordprente; filmiese prosa; die soort publikasie wat mens met sagte hande hanteer en wat nog lank na die laaste toemaak, in jou hart voortleef.

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Die sjarme van hierdie bundel lê veral in die ontwapenende manier waarop die verteller ’n mens insae gee in sy vrese en onsekerhede, sy behoeftes en drome, sy berou en nimmereindigende hoop op ’n verrukking wat hom – al is dit net vir ’n oomblik – sal laat ontglip aan die realiteit. Die gevoelige vertelstyl en melankoliese toon straal boonop ’n soort begrip en empatie vir die menslike toestand uit wat die leser laat voel: Iemand verstaan my.

LOUISE VILJOEN

NETWERK24
 

ANSCHEN CONRADIE

UITDIEPERDSEBEK

 

KERNEELS BREYTENBACH

NETWERK24
 

PRAISE FOR THE LONG WAVE / DORADO

"Dreyer has developed his own personal mythology which makes his work not only very recognisable but also strikingly original."

"Van die agterpaaie van die Karoo tot in die agterstrate van Kuilsrivier lees Dorado asof David Lynch en Wim Wenders saam 'n road movie hier kom skiet het. Tom Dreyer ken die taal wat teerpad praat."

"From the backroads of the Karoo to the streets of Kuils River, [The Long Wave] reads as though David Lynch and Wim Wenders came here and shot a road movie together."

"Die boek het wonderlike filmiese elemente en die forlorn karakters is die tipe ouens wat ek graag op 'n road trip in die Karoo sal wil raakloop Dorado is 'n boeiende boek wat 'n mens nie sommer los nie."

LUC RENDERS

WILLEM ANKER

WILLEM ANKER

ERNS GRUNDLINGH

PRAISE FOR THE EQUATORIA

"Intelligent, multi-layered, and absorbing, Equatoria is an African quest you want to read again and again."

"A spellbinding tale, written in eloquent prose: passionate, comic, and always deeply moving."

"Achingly beautiful prose creates a fever dream of our own dark nature."

"A poetic and thought-provoking meditation on discovery and loss"

DEON MEYER

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MARGARETE LAMB-FAFFELBERGER

JOHN STRALEY, WRITER LAUREATE OF ALASKA

PETER WHITTAKER, NEW INTERNATIONALIST

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Awards

PRAISE FOR STINKAFRIKANERS & ERDVARKFONTEIN

"n Man wat kén van struktureer en van los drade vasvat en vernuftige speletjies met die leser speel."

"A backbone of consistent and striking metaphors, mixed with a wry humour."

"Oom Schalk Lourens op amfetamien."

ANDRE P BRINK

HANS PIENAAR

BARRY RONGE

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AWARDS

1998 MNET BURSARY FOR CREATIVE WRITING

2001 STINKAFRIKANERS AWARDED THE EUGENE MARAIS PRIZE FOR LITERATURE

2004 WINNER OF SABC SCRIPT WRITING COMPETITION FOR SPEKBOOM ALL STARS

2006 EQUATORIA SHORTLISTED FOR MNET LITERARY PRIZE

2017 THE LONG WAVE LONGLISTED FOR SUNDAY TIMES LITERARY PRIZE

2017 DORADO SHORTLISTED FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG PRIZE

2017 DORADO SHORTLISTED FOR KYKNET/RAPPORT FILM PRIZE

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2019 WINNER OF THE AVBOB PRIZE FOR AFRIKAANS POETRY

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2021 THE LONG WAVE - SEMI-FINALIST IN SCREENCRAFT INTERNATIONAL CINEMATIC NOVEL COMPETITION

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2024 NOU IN INFRAROOI AWARDED ATKV PRIZE FOR POETRY
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2024 NOU IN INFRAROOI SHORTLISTED FOR UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG PRIZE FOR LITERATURE
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2024 NOU IN INFRAROOI LONGLISTED FOR SOUTH AFRICAN LITERARY AWARDS (POETRY) 
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RESIDENCIES

2007  INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

2007  WRITER IN RESIDENCE AT SITKA ISLAND INSTITUTE IN ALASKA

2008  CHATEAU DE LAVIGNY INTERNATIONAL WRITERS RESIDENCE IN LAVIGNY, SWITZERLAND

2009  INTERNATIONAL WRITERS AND TRANSLATORS CENTER IN RHODES, GREECE

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2010  LEDIG HOUSE RESIDENCY IN HUDSON, NEW YORK 

2014 WRITER IN RESIDENCE AT VERMONT STUDIO CENTER 

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