{{Short description|South African book publisher (1933–2002)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{more citations needed|date=November 2014}} {{Infobox person | name = | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date|1933|12|5|df=y}} | birth_name = Adriaan Donker | birth_place = Bilthoven, The Netherlands | death_date = {{death date and age|2002|7|17|1933|12|5|df=y}} | death_place = South Africa | burial_place = | occupation = Publisher | education = | known_for = Founder of AD Donker Publishers | alma_mater = | notable_works = | awards = }} '''Adriaan Donker''' (5 December 1933 – 17 July 2002) was a pioneering South African publisher, who was born in the Netherlands and emigrated in 1966 to South Africa, where he founded his own company to produce South African literature.

==Biography== Born in Bilthoven, the Netherlands, on 5 December 1933, he grew up in Amsterdam during the Second World War.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sabooksellers.com/legends-profile-jonathan-ball/ |title=Legends profile: Jonathan Ball|publisher= SA Booksellers Association|first=Jonathan |last=Ferreira|date= 12 December 2016|access-date=2 February 2025}}</ref> He learned book publishing from his father, who was a notable Dutch publisher (Ad. Donker, Rotterdam),<ref>[http://www.uitgeverijdonker.nl/php/verwacht.php website of Uitgeversmaatschappij Ad. Donker.]</ref> and was also trained at Collier Macmillan in London and New York City. He emigrated as sales representative to South Africa in 1966, and in 1973 opened his self-titled publishing company, which was committed to publishing South African literature.<ref name="Mail&Guardian">{{cite news|url= https://mg.co.za/article/2002-07-26-renaissance-man/|title=Renaissance man|first=Michael|last=Chapman|newspaper=Mail & Guardian|date=26 July 2002|access-date=2 February 2025}}</ref><ref name="news24">{{cite news|url=https://www.news24.com/news24/publisher-ad-donker-dies-20020718|title=Publisher AD Donker dies|website=news24.com|date=18 July 2002|access-date=2 February 2025}}</ref>

Under apartheid, many of Donker's publications were considered "subversive". Despite pressure from government officials, surveillance by the security police, including threats of loss of passport and illegal house searches, Donker adamantly continued publishing social critical works.

He was founder and director of the Centre of Creative Arts in Durban,<ref name="news24" /> initiating the international Poetry Festival and The Time of the Writer.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Natal in 2000 for his contribution to South African literature.<ref name="news24" />

Donker died at his home in Rooi Els, South Africa, in July 2002, aged 68.<ref name="Mail&Guardian" />

==Publications of AD Donker (Johannesburg)== The first publications of black literature in South Africa were under '''AD Donker Publisher''' in 1974, with Mongane Wally Serote and Sipho Sepamla. Playwright and author Athol Fugard (''Tsotsi'') and imprisoned poet Dikobe wa Magole (''Baptism of Fire'', {{ISBN|0-86852-051-9}}) are among the many authors Donker promoted. With his love for literature, he republished forgotten works by Bessie Head (''Tales of Tenderness and Power''), Olive Schreiner's ''The Story of an African Farm'', Sol T. Plaatje's ''Mhudi'' and the then banned work by Bloke Modisane ''Blame Me On History''.

===Poetry=== *''Hurry up to it!'' – Sydney Sipho Sepamla, 1975 ({{ISBN|0-949937-14-2}}) *''The Blues in You and Me'' – Sipho Sepamla, 1976 ({{ISBN|0-949937-33-9}}) *''Children of the Earth'' – Sipho Sepamla, 1983 ({{ISBN|0-86852-022-5}}) *''Behold Mama Flowers'' – Mongane Wally Serote, 1978 ({{ISBN|0-949937-51-7}}) *''Tsetlo'' – Mongane Wally Serote, 1974 ({{ISBN|0-949937-06-1}}) *''Yakhal'inkomo'' – Mongane Wally Serote, 1972 ({{ISBN|0-86852-045-4}}) *''It's Time to Go Home'' – Christopher van Wyk, 1979 ({{ISBN|0-949937-58-4}}) *''Prison Poems'' – Dikobe Wa Mogale, 1992 ({{ISBN|0-86852-190-6}}) *''Jol'iinkomo'' – Mafika Pascal Gwala, 1977 ({{ISBN|0-949937-34-7}})

===Plays=== *''Marigolds in August'' – Athol Fugard and Ross Devenish, 1982 ({{ISBN|0-86852-008-X}})

===Novels=== *''Exiles: A Novel'' – Rose Zwi, 1984. ({{ISBN|0-86852-060-8}})<ref>[https://www.publishinghistory.com/women-writers-series-ad-donker.html Women Writers Series (Ad. Donker) - Book Series List], publishinghistory.com. Retrieved 29 September 2019.</ref> *''This Time of Year and Other Stories'' – Sheila Roberts, 1983. ({{ISBN|0-86852-029-2}})<ref>Wilhelm, Peter, [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10131758385310101?journalCode=racr20 "Review: 'This time of year and other stories' by Sheila Roberts"], ''English Academy Review: A Journal of English Studies'', Volume 1, Issue 1, 1983. Retrieved 29 September 2019.</ref>

== See also == * David Philip Publishers, founded 1971.

* Ravan Press, founded 1971.

==References== {{Reflist}}

== Further reading == * Donker, Ad. "English-Language Publishing in South Africa". ''English in Africa'', vol. 10, no. 1, 1983, pp. 29–35. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40238757. Accessed 2 February 2025.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Donker, Ad}} Category:1933 births Category:2002 deaths Category:Book publishing company founders Category:People from De Bilt Category:South African book publishers (people)