Lionel Abrahams
Died	May 30, 2004 Age 76
Occupation	Poet
Nationality	South African
Influences Herman Charles Bosman

Lionel Abrahams (1928 – 31 May 2004) was a South African novelist, poet, editor, critic, essayist and publisher. He was born in Johannesburg, where he lived his entire life.^[1] He was born with cerebral palsy and had to use a wheelchair until he was 11 years old.^[2]

Best known for his poetry, he was mentored by Herman Charles Bosman,^[2] and he and later edited seven volumes of Bosman's posthumously published works.^[3] Abrahams went on to become one of the most influential figures in South African literature in his own right,^[4][5] publishing numerous poems, essays, and two novels.^[2] Through Renoster Books, which he started in 1956, he published works by Oswald Mtshali and Mongane Wally Serote heralding the emergence of black poetry during the apartheid era.^[2]

In 1986, he married Jane Fox.^[2] That year, he was awarded honorary doctorates of literature by the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Natal.^[6]

Contents 1 Novels 2 Poetry 3 Works about Lionel Abrahams 4 References

[edit] Novels

• The Celibacy of Felix Greenspan: A novel in 18 stories, published by Bateleur Press, 1977
• The White Life of Felix Greenspan, published by M&G Books, 2002

[edit] Poetry

• Journal of a New Man, published by Ad Donker, 1984
• The Writer in Sand, published by Ad Donker, 1988
• A Dead Tree Full of Live Birds, published by Snail Press, 1988
• Chaos Theory of the Heart, to be published by Jacana Media and Roaring Forties Press, 2005

[edit] Works about Lionel Abrahams

• Lionel Abrahams: A Reader, ed. Patrick Cullinan, published by Ad Donker, 1988
• A Writer in Stone: South African Writers Celebrate the 70th Birthday of Lionel Abrahams, ed. G. Friedman and Roy Blumenthal, published by David Philip, 1998

[edit] References

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