“Thecreative act is not pure. History evidences it. Sociology extracts it. Thewriter loses Eden, writes to be read and comes to realize that he isanswerable.” – Nadine Gordimer

Bornin South Africa on this date in 1923, Gordimer became the first writer from hercountry to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.  Gordimer, who died in2014, was a creative, political and humanitarian force in South Africa for nearly60 years.

Gordimer’sfirst novel The Lying Days was published in 1953 and by the early 1960sshe had gained both international acclaim and the ire of thegovernment.  Active in Nelson Mandela’s African National Congressduring the years when that organization was banned, many of her writings were inspiringfor Mandela’s cause, but like Mandela’s political efforts banned in her own country.  All told she authored dozens of essays, 22short story collections and 15 worldwide bestselling novels.  And she helped Mandela edit his famous trialspeech “I Am Prepared To Die.”  

Led by multiple-award winning novels like The Conservationist and Burger's Daughter, Gordimer's works deal with the themes of love and politics.   Alwaysquestioning power relations and truth, her stories tell of ordinary peopledealing with moral ambiguities and choices.   She won the Nobel in 1991 and said thecensorship she endured for her writing was life-scarring.  

“Censorshipis never over for those who have experienced it,” she said.  “It is abrand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it,forever.”