Kern en Tooi – Kroniek van die Afrikaanse Lettere 1951-1960

Kern en Tooi – Kroniek van die Afrikaanse Lettere 1951‑1960 by Rob Antonissen Nasou Beperk is a substantive chronicle of Afrikaans literary production during the crucial decade following the Second World War, compiled by the respected literary scholar Rob Antonissen and published by Nasou Beperk. First issued in the early 1960s, this work brings together a decade’s worth of critical assessments and reviews of Afrikaans literature originally penned soon after the appearance of the texts themselves. The title Kern en Tooi reflects Antonissen’s intent to distil the core (kern) literary value of works from the embellishment or non‑essential (tooi), offering readers a clear view into the major trends and voices shaping Afrikaans letters in the 1950s.

In Kern en Tooi – Kroniek van die Afrikaanse Lettere 1951‑1960, Antonissen draws primarily on his reviews published in the influential cultural magazine Standpunte, as well as pieces from other contemporary periodicals, to assemble a chronological record of Afrikaans publications across genres. The book surveys poetry, prose, drama, and critical essays, charting the emergence of important literary figures and movements as Afrikaans literature matured in form and thematic reach. By placing these reviews side by side, Antonissen gives readers both a historical narrative and a critical framework, showing how individual works and authors were received in their own time and how they contributed to the evolving literary landscape.

With approximately 258 pages in hardcover format, Kern en Tooi – Kroniek van die Afrikaanse Lettere 1951‑1960 by Rob Antonissen Nasou Beperk serves as both a record and a tool for study. It remains relevant for students of Afrikaans literature, researchers exploring mid‑twentieth‑century literary culture, and collectors of Africana who value primary literary criticism anchored in the period of creation. Antonissen’s judicious and informed approach ensures that this chronicle captures not just the facts of publication but the intellectual texture of a formative decade in Afrikaans letters.

Condition: Very Good – Minor wear to the dust jacket. Prior ownership in ink on endpaper. Foxing present