An English-speaking South African who is
well-known in South Africa as a major poet writing in the Afrikaans language. In
Israel she wrote in English but remained virtually unknown,
although she lived there from l948 until her death in l997. In South Africa
she published eight volumes of Afrikaans poetry, and in 1994 a volume of
“Selected Poems” (Human and Rousseau, Cape Town). Her first English volume of
poems in Israel was “The Book of Sitrya” in 1990, written as a way of coping
with the death of her granddaughter. She then continued to write in English,
becoming active in “The Israel Association of Writers in English”. In l996,
seeking wider publication in English, she sent poems to the USA and England.
Months after her death, an English editor approached “The Israel Association”
about publication of five poems received the previous year. Her poems from
Israel deal mainly with her family and her feelings, and do not portray
contemporary life in this country
Muriel Chesler
Bibliography:
KIRSCH, Olga. The book of Sitrya. Pp. 58,
ill. Rehovot: O. Kirsch, c1990
KIRSCH, Olga.
Negentien gedigte. Pp. 24.
Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau [1972]
KIRSCH, Olga. Mure van die hart. Pp. 37.
Johannesburg: Afrikaanse pers boekhandel, 1948
KIRSCH, Olga. Oorwinteraars in die vreemde. Pp. 24. 1ste uitg.
Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau, 1978
KIRSCH, Olga. Geil gebied. Pp. 33. Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau, 1976
KIRSCH, Olga. Afskeide. 1e uitg. Pp. 37. Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau, 1982
KIRSCH,
Olga. Ruie tuin.
1ste uitgawe. Pp. 43. Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau, 1983
Links::
English
Writing in Israel - by Karen Alkalay-Gut
