Karnaval van die Diere
From the book cover
Illustration by Piet Grobler		Philip's new exhibition of photos and accompaying verses
A Collage
Photographs of writers on Litnet
Die Reis (a series of 20 photos)
Poems: Ek sal  Bitterbos
So skryf jy 'n limerick

Author's dogs: Winnie


Philip de Vos

Philip de Vos

Opera singer, photographer, maker of nonsense verses,
author of stories for children and of comic strips

Philip de Vos was born at Bloemfontein on 16 June 1939 and was a language teacher before he moved to Cape Town in 1967. From 1980-1997 he was a member of CAPAB'S permanent opera chorus. Since 1963 he has portrayed more than 60 different character roles in opera and musicals, and sang in oratorios.
He is a photographer of renown who has had six one-man exhibitions of his work, and has won several prizes for his photography.
Since 1984 he has become well known as a writer of nonsense verse, limericks and stories for children of all ages and has won several awards.
Most of his books are illustrated by Piet Grobler. Wolfgang Amadeus Mouse was chosen in 1986 for the International White Ravens Collection and Carnival of the Animals was also published in the USA and in translated form in the Netherlands, Italy and Germany.
Philip does rhyming translations of children's books and has written the lyrics for several animation programmes for the SABC.
Since 1996 he has written a regular comic strip in De Kat magazine and afterwards in Insig and since April 2001, a poem dealing with topical matters appears regularly in Die Burger on Tuesdays.
Ten local composers have set his poems to music and Albie Louw and he have performed their songs at more than 300 schools, universities and local Art's Festivals and they made a CD of these songs: Brommer in die Sop (en ander lieflike en loflike liedjies). A number of his poems have been put on ceramic by two Cape artists.
Philip has often performed in Stellenbosch. He has been the narrator with the Stellenbosch Student orchestra of his poems for Carnival of the Animals and his own rhyming version of Peter and the Wolf.
His photographs of writers can be found on the CD ROM Verswêreld (Tafelberg). They have been exhibited at the Sasol Art Museum in Stellenbosch during the Woordfees, when Philip also performed his songs and gave workshops on the writing of limericks.

Awards:

1983 and 1984: The Cape Times and Creative Photography competitions: overall winner
1989: Eugène Marais Prize for Daar's Bitterals in die Heuningwals and
ATKV-kinderboektoekenning for Vincent van Gogga
1996: M.E.R-Prize for Moenie 'n Mielie Kielie nie
1996: Mondi-Prize for strokies in De Kat
1998: Alba Bouwer Prize for Moenie 'n Mielie Kielie nie
1991: ATKV Prize for Youth Literature for Vincent van Gogga

List of works

CD: Brommer in die Sop, poems set to music by Albie Louw, performed by Philip de Vos. Tafelberg 1998

O Togga! 'n Gogga, Tafelberg, 1984
Brommer in die Sop, Tafelberg, 1986
Wolfgang Amadeus Muis, Tafelberg, 1986
Karel van Krieketstraat, Tafelberg, 1988/1990
Daar's Bitterals in die Heuningwals, Tafelberg, 1988
Belladonna Prima Donna, Tafelberg, 1989
Die Worcester Asporcester, Tafelberg, 1989
Vincent van Gogga (illustrated by Cora Coetzee), Tafelberg, 1990/H&R, 2006
Trazom, Queillerie, 1993
Van Rand en Sent tot Insolvent, Juta, 1994
Moenie 'n mielie kielie nie, Human & Rousseau, 1995
Die Deng van Gauteng, Human & Rousseau, 1996
Karnaval van die Diere
Carnival of the Animals, Human & Rousseau, 1998 (illustrations by Piet Grobler)
pret @ internet, Queillerie, 1998
Kat se Blad, Human & Rousseau, 1999
Beware of the Canary, Human & Rousseau, 2000
Oxford Storieboom-reeks, Oxford University Press, 1994
Sproete en Snoete
Warrelwind se kind
Giere en grille
Limiricke vir die lekkerte, Maskew Miller, 2003
Rimpelstories: Limericke vir die lekkerte, Kagiso Education, 2004
Mallemeuleman (collected poems), Human & Rousseau, 2004
Milieu, 2006 - A book of photographs of 134 creative South Africans, 2006
Tot siens, Tommasino (Illustr: Petra Gevers), Human & Rousseau, 2007

Rhymed Translations:
Die dag van die Reënboog, Human & Rousseau, 1989
Grilkrokodil, Human & Rousseau, 1989
Pret met vorms, Human & Rousseau, 1989
Vang die Hoed, Oxford University Press, 1989
Sarie en die Spinnekop, Oxford University Press, 1989
Daar's geen rus op die goudgeel bus, Human & Rousseau, 1990
Almal Saam, Human & Rousseau, 1990
Daar's 'n yslike bries as 'n olifant nies!, Human & Rousseau, 1991
Eerste Rympies vir Kleuters, Human & Rousseau, 1992
Een Ouma wat Glimlag, Human & Rousseau, 1992
Die Loraks, Hodder & Stoughton, 1993
Sussie Seekoei red 'n apie, Tafelberg, 1993
Sussie Seekoei speel speurder, Tafelberg, 1994
Die Groot Sangboek, Rubicon, 1994
Propvol Tjokvol, Rubicon, 1994
Wanja se VreemdeWinternag, Rubicon, 1994
Beerjolyt, Human & Rousseau, 1997
Ek Sien, Human & Rousseau, 1998
Die Goorgomgaai, Human & Rousseau, 1999
Is daar Plek op jou Besem?, Human & Rousseau, 2002
Die Spree met Foete (translations of Dutch poems by Annie M.G.Schmidt with colour illustrations by Piet Grobler), Human & Rousseau, 2002
Vier kartonboekies, Human & Rousseau, 2003
Muisie my meisie, Human & Rousseau, 2003
Missy mouse, Human & Rousseau, 2003
Anushka Ravishankar, Vrydag is my dag, Human & Rousseau, 2003
Die Tyd is om!, Human & Rousseau, 2004
Keith Faulkner, Hik! Hik! Hik!, Best Books, 2004
Bob Hartman, Die wolf wat outjie geskree het, Human & Rousseau, 2004
Fiona Hayes, My Saamsleep - Dieretrein, Human & Rousseau, 2006
Topsy Smith, Trompie die soet seun, Human & Rousseau, 2006
Anderson's Tales:
Die Keiser Se Nuwe Klere; Die Teepot; Die Tonteldoos; Die Herderin En Die Skoorsteenveer; Die Prinses En Die Ertjie,; The Ugly Duckling; Die Lelike Eendjie

* * *
Ek sal
vir jou
’n appel pluk;
twee vere
en ’n roos.
Die appel
en die roos
is net
’n soetigheid
vir nóú.
Die pouveer
en makouveer
is vir
môre se onthou.		Bitterbos o bitterbos
skud jou bitterbessies los –
Vanaand soek hierdie ronddwaalkind
nét bitterbessiekos.

See web page at Storiewerf

Webmasterwww.StellenboschWriters.com © Rosemarie Breuer