2011 Protea Series - Prof JM Coetzee

[HR_COINS 10]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Thursday the 3rd of March, Ms Koleka Mqulwana the South African High Commissioner in Canberra, Australia, officiated the launch of the South African Mint’s 2011 Protea coin series which depicts South African Nobel Laureate for Literature, Prof John Maxwell Coetzee.The launch took place at the Art gallery of South Australia in Adelaide.

The Royal Australian Mint overstruck 600 silver coins depicting Prof Coetzee with a special Adelaide overstrike mintmark “A”.

John Maxwell Coetzee is the second South African to win the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003. Coetzee gained many awards throughout his career and he was the first author to be awarded the Booker Prize twice: first for Life & Times of Michael K in 1983, and again for Disgrace in 1999.

Upon retiring in 2002, Coetzee relocated to Adelaide where he was made an honorary research fellow at the English Department of the University of Adelaide. Although Coetzee is now an Australian citizen he features as a South African Nobel Laureate as he was a South African citizen when he received the Prize and his books were mostly written about South Africans in South Africa.

Both the South African Mint and the Royal Australian Mint paid tribute to a thought provoking and brave writer who has transcended the barriers between reality and fiction.

[Pierre_Henri 25]

That is indeed interesting news and thank you for keeping us up to date.

 

I have read Coetzee's "The Life and Times of Michael K" in the mid 1980s and for some or other reason, did not read any of his other works since.

 

Whatever, thanks again - not many South Africans are honoured by the mints of other countries.

 

Pierre