Charl Jean Francois Cilliers (also credited as ''Charles Cilliers'') (25 January 1941 to 16 July 2019) was a
South African author and poet.
His published works include "West-falling Light" (1971), "Has Winter No Wisdom" (1979).
Early years and education
Cilliers was born in
Cape Town
Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...
, and grew up in
Free State. His
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
years were spent in a succession of different schools as the family moved around. He went to Clapham High School in
Pretoria
Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country.
Pretoria strad ...
, where he
matriculated
Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination.
Australia
In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used now ...
in 1957.
Cilliers lectured in telecommunications in the
Post Office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
Training Centre in Pretoria until 1968 when he joined Parliament as a translator. He retired as Chief Editor of the Hansard Reporting Unit until in 1999.
His published volumes are:
West-Falling Light, Tafelberg Publishers, 1971;
Has Winter No Wisdom, Maskew Miller, 1979;
Collected Poems (1960–2008), Malgas Publishers, 2008;
Fireflies Facing The Moon (Children's Poems), Malgas Publishers, 2008;
The Journey, Malgas Publishers, 2010;
A Momentary Stay, Malgas Publishers, 2011;
Karoo (Haiku Variations), 2012.
Writing
Charl J. F. Cilliers writing poetry at the age of 14. His first volume "West-falling Light" was published in 1971, followed by "Has Winter No Wisdom" in 1979. He has published in magazines such as Standpunte, Contrast, Ophir, Poet (India), Purple Renoster, New Nation (of which he was also poetry editor), De Arte, Chirimo (Rhodesia) and Unisa
English Studies
English studies (or simply, English) is an academic discipline taught in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education in English-speaking countries. This is not to be confused with English taught as a foreign language, which is a dis ...
.
His work also appeared in anthologies such as "Two Roads" (compiled by Ken Durham in 1969), "Seismograph" (compiled by
Jack Cope in 1970), "For All Seasons" (compiled by F. C. H. Rumboll and J. B. Gardener in 1973), "Out Of The African Ark" (edited by David and
Guy Butler in 1988), "25/25" (edited by David Bunyan in 1989) and "Somewhere I Have Never Travelled" (edited by Terrill Nicolay in 1996).
His poems have also been broadcast by the SABC.
Published poetry
*West-Falling Light (1971)
*Has Winter No Wisdom (1979)
*Collected Poems (2008)
*Fireflies Facing The Moon (Children’s Poems, 2008)
*Work In Progress
*The Journey
*World In A Grain Of Sand
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cilliers, Charl
1941 births
South African poets
Writers from Cape Town
Living people