Dricky Beukes

Dricky Beukes (29 December 1918 – 9 November 1999) was a South African writer of Afrikaans novels, short stories and radio dramas. Beukes wrote more than a hundred Afrikaans novels, a large number of short stories and numerous Afrikaans radio dramas, including some extensive pieces for the commercial station Springbok Radio. She died in 1999 in Bellville after a battle with blood cancer. There is a Dricky Beukes Street named after her in Kokrus, Vereeniging.

Early life
Hendrika Johanna van Staden was born on Seekoebaard farm in Prieska, Northern Cape, 29 December 1918. She was the youngest of 13 children. When she was three years old, her father moved their family to Karos, a small town near the Gariep River in Upington in the Northern Cape, where she grew up and received her early school education. She matriculated from the Higher Business School in Paarl and took up a job at the Karos Post Office after writing her Public Service Examination.

She married Abraham Opperman Beukes of Prince Albert on July 4, 1942. He was the first principal of Laerskool Vredelust in Bellville, who himself also wrote three children's books. The couple moved to Bellville and they had a son, Van Staden, and two daughters Brenda and Wilmari. In Bellville, Beukes was the editor for a small newspaper called Die Noordwester and a regular contributor to the Oudtshoorn Courant. After retirement, the couple settled in Tygerberg in Bellville. Beukes’ husband died in Durbanville in March 1993.

Work
Beukes was an accomplished writer and a host on the SABC’s service Springbok radio. Beukes was made popular by her sequel stories. A phrase which gained country-wide popularity at the time was her introduction to the radio drama Die Indringer (The Trespasser): 'n verhaal wat elke moederhart sal roer (a story to touch the heart of every mother). Die Indringer was a story about the trials of a woman who adopted child. Die Indringer was broadcast for the first time on the May 16, 1960 and it was the most popular day program on Springbok radio for 11 years. Other popular radio stories by Dricky Beukes include Skaduwees oor Summerdown, Blinkwater, Die geel karavaan and Dokter Karenien. Beukes remained on air for more than a decade making her a household name in Afrikaans speaking homes.

She wrote her first novel, “Madelief”, in just 14 days and it was published in 1945 in The Housewife. She was just 18 years old at the time. The story was inspired by her mother’s death which occurred in the same year.

Beukes published many popular books in Afrikaans. The Kamberg series: “Kamberg se wêreld” (Kamberg's world), 1982, “Kamberg se mense” (Kamberg's people), 1986 and “Kamberg se Kinders” (Kamberg's children), 1988, were popular among readers. Beukes also wrote Meetsnoere and Een wat ’n muur afbreek. The stories depicted the lives of the people in Karos, where she spent her childhood.