Marlene van Niekerk | |
|---|---|
 Van Niekerk (2018) | |
| Born | 10 November 1954 |
| Nationality | South African |
| Notable awards | Ingrid Jonker Prize Noma Award for Publishing in Africa Hertzog Prize (twice) Order of Ikhamanga |
Marlene van Niekerk (born 10 November 1954) is a South African poet, writer, and academic. She is best known for her novels, the satirical tragicomedy Triomf (1994) and the Hertzog-winning Agaat (2004), which explore themes including the family, the change in power dynamics occasioned by the end of Apartheid, and inequalities of race, gender, and class. Van Niekerk is also an award-winning poet. She writes in her native tongue, Afrikaans, and teaches at Stellenbosch University.