Dalene Matthee

About the Author

Dalene Matthee (1938–2005) was a South African Afrikaans novelist celebrated for richly atmospheric stories rooted in the landscapes and communities of the country’s southern Cape. Her fiction often explores the relationship between people and the natural world, while giving voice to marginalized characters and preserving local histories. With a keen sense of place and compassionate observation, she brought the Knysna Forest and its inhabitants vividly to life for generations of readers. Her work remains influential in South African literature and has reached audiences through translation and adaptation.