Adam Small : familiegeskiedenisse, aanlope en vroeer invloede
Date
2012
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Academy of Science of South Africa
Abstract
This article answers the question: Where does the Afrikaans essayist, dramatist and poet, Adam Small, hail from? It proceeds to
examine the genealogy of Small and the early influences of his family. The writer’s recent family history is traced to his direct
forebears, Adam and Siela Dampies in the early 19th century, and his grandparents Adam and Nellie Dampies. The article
further explores the vagaries of name changes in the instance of the Dampies/Small family, the writer’s multicultural parental
background and his early years in rural and urban settings. In this respect influences on the young writer, emanating from these
circumstances, are alluded to. Besides the genealogical information gained from archival research, the article relies methodologically
on oral sources, informal accounts and personal recollection. It is found that the extended Small family established a relatively
comfortable middle class lifestyle and they were involved at the same time in church and social relief projects. The young Adam
Small grew up in a household where values such as social commitment and multi-cultural tolerance were honoured.
Description
CITATION: Cleophas, F. J. 2012. Adam Small : familiegeskiedenisse, aanlope en vroeer invloede. Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, 49(1):19-39, doi:10.4314/tvl.v49i1.3.
The original publication is available at https://journals.assaf.org.za
The original publication is available at https://journals.assaf.org.za
Keywords
Small, Adam, 1936-2016
Citation
Cleophas, F. 2012. Adam Small : familiegeskiedenisse, aanlope en vroeer invloede. Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, 49(1):19-39, doi:10.4314/tvl.v49i1.3.