John Eppel

• Name — John Eppel • Born — 19 September 1947 • Birthplace — Lydenburg, South Africa • Education — Milton High School University of Natal • Occupation — Novelist, poet, short story writer, teacher • Period — 1965–present • Genre — Literary fiction, Satire, Humor • Movement — Post-colonialism • Notable Works — D G G Berry's The Great North Road • Awards — Ingrid Jonker Prize

John Eppel born in Lydenburg, South Africa. He moved to Colleen Bawn, a small mining town in the south of Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), at the age of four. He was educated at Milton High School in Bulawayo, and later attended the University of Natal in South Africa, where he completed his English master's degree in "A Study of Keatsian Dialectics".

Eppel has published more than 20 books, one of which, The Giraffe Man, has been translated into French. He has crafted a creative writing course for the University of South Africa and published three O-Level and one A-Level literature study guides. He was awarded the Ingrid Jonker Prize for his first poetry volume, Spoils of War, and the MNet Prize in 1993 for his novel D G G Berry's the Great North Road. Eppel's second novel, Hatchings, was nominated for the MNet Prize in 1993/4. His works are studied in universities across South Africa. He teaches English at Christian Brothers College, Bulawayo.

Eppel married at the age of 34 and has three children: Ben, Ruth and Joe. His ex-wife, Shari, is a poet and prominent human rights activist.