Jack Cope
Encyclopedia
Jack Cope ( 3 June 1913 – 1991) was a South Africa
n novelist, short story
writer, poet
, and editor
.
Jack Cope was born in Natal
, South Africa
and attended boarding school in Durban
, afterwards becoming a journalist
on the Natal Mercury
and then a political correspondent in London
for South African newspapers. At the outbreak of the Second World War, in a state of some disillusionment, he returned to his father's farm and, while working at various jobs, took up creative writing.
During the following four decades Cope published eight novels, more than a hundred short stories
, and three collections of poetry, the last one in association with C.J. Driver. For twenty of those years, beginning in 1960, he edited Contrast, a literary magazine bilingual in English
and Afrikaans
. He co-edited The Penguin Book of South African Verse (1968) with Uys Krige
and, as general editor throughout much of the 1970s, produced the Mantis editions of Southern African poets. In 1980 he moved to England
, where he published The Adversary Within: Dissident Writers in Afrikaans (1982) and his Selected Stories (1986).
Cope's first novel, The Fair House (1955), considers the Bambata Rebellion of 1906 in an attempt to account for the later racial and political conditions in South Africa
. Later novels, including The Golden Oriole (1958), Albino (1964), and The Rain-Maker (1971), chronicle the white man's destruction of black culture and the ensuing struggle by the blacks to regain their pride and identity.
However, it is as a short-story writer that Cope demonstrated his finest talent. His stories evoke, according to Alan Paton
, 'with a few words the scents and sounds and colours of our country'. In 'A Crack in the Sky' (The Tame Ox, 1960) and 'Power' (The Man Who Doubted and Other Stories, 1967) his moral vision is clear; his third collection, Alley Cat and Other Stories (1973), contains darker themes such as those of alienation and loneliness. Among Cope's main achievements was his influence on South African literature during the 1960s and 1970s, important years in the struggle against apartheid.
Jack Cope is also well-known for his romantic
attachment to tragic South African poet Ingrid Jonker
.
He is survived by two sons, Raymond and Michael Cope, and three grandchildren, Jason Cope
, Sky Cope and Sophie Cope
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n novelist, short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
.
Jack Cope was born in Natal
Natal Province
Natal, meaning "Christmas" in Portuguese, was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. The Natal Province included the bantustan of KwaZulu...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and attended boarding school in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, afterwards becoming a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
on the Natal Mercury
The Mercury (South Africa)
The Mercury is an upmarket English language newspaper owned by Independent News & Media and published in Durban, South Africa.As the most popular English morning newspaper in the region, The Mercury has 269 000 readers .-Content:...
and then a political correspondent in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for South African newspapers. At the outbreak of the Second World War, in a state of some disillusionment, he returned to his father's farm and, while working at various jobs, took up creative writing.
During the following four decades Cope published eight novels, more than a hundred short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
, and three collections of poetry, the last one in association with C.J. Driver. For twenty of those years, beginning in 1960, he edited Contrast, a literary magazine bilingual in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
. He co-edited The Penguin Book of South African Verse (1968) with Uys Krige
Uys Krige
Mattheus Uys Krige was a South African writer of novels, short stories, poems and plays in both Afrikaans and English. He was born in Bontebokskloof in the Cape Province and educated at the University of Stellenbosch.From 1931 to 1935 he lived in France and Spain, acquiring fluency in both...
and, as general editor throughout much of the 1970s, produced the Mantis editions of Southern African poets. In 1980 he moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he published The Adversary Within: Dissident Writers in Afrikaans (1982) and his Selected Stories (1986).
Cope's first novel, The Fair House (1955), considers the Bambata Rebellion of 1906 in an attempt to account for the later racial and political conditions in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Later novels, including The Golden Oriole (1958), Albino (1964), and The Rain-Maker (1971), chronicle the white man's destruction of black culture and the ensuing struggle by the blacks to regain their pride and identity.
However, it is as a short-story writer that Cope demonstrated his finest talent. His stories evoke, according to Alan Paton
Alan Paton
Alan Stewart Paton was a South African author and anti-apartheid activist.-Family:Paton was born in Pietermaritzburg, Natal Province , the son of a minor civil servant. After attending Maritzburg College, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Natal in his hometown, followed...
, 'with a few words the scents and sounds and colours of our country'. In 'A Crack in the Sky' (The Tame Ox, 1960) and 'Power' (The Man Who Doubted and Other Stories, 1967) his moral vision is clear; his third collection, Alley Cat and Other Stories (1973), contains darker themes such as those of alienation and loneliness. Among Cope's main achievements was his influence on South African literature during the 1960s and 1970s, important years in the struggle against apartheid.
Jack Cope is also well-known for his romantic
Romantic love
Romance is the pleasurable feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.In the context of romantic love relationships, romance usually implies an expression of one's love, or one's deep emotional desires to connect with another person....
attachment to tragic South African poet Ingrid Jonker
Ingrid Jonker
Ingrid Jonker , was a South African poet. Although she wrote in Afrikaans, her poems have been widely translated into other languages...
.
He is survived by two sons, Raymond and Michael Cope, and three grandchildren, Jason Cope
Jason Cope
Jason Cope is a South African actor best known for his work in Neill Blomkamp's District 9. In the film Cope plays a variety of different characters including the alien Christopher Johnson and the character Grey Bradnam, one of the narrators of the film...
, Sky Cope and Sophie Cope
Selected bibliography
- Marie: A South African Satire (1948)
- The Golden Oriole (1958)
- The Road To Ysterberg: A Novel (1959)
- The Penguin Book Of South African Verse (Co- editor) (1968)
- The Dawn Comes Twice (1969)
- The Rain-Maker (1971)
- The Africa We Knew (1973)
- Lacking A Label (1974)
- My Son Max (1977)
- Notes Recorded in Sun (1979)
- The Adversary Within: Dissident Writers In Afrikaans (1982)