John van Melle
Jan van Melle (11 February 1887 – 8 November 1953) was the pen name of a Dutch-born South African writer. His real name was Johannes van Melle. He arrived in South Africa in 1906, and after a short sojourn in the Netherlands East Indies, settled in South Africa permanently in 1913.
John van Melle
The original uploader was Morne at Afrikaans Wikipedia. · Public domain
- Birth Name
- Johannes van Melle
- Born
- 11 February 1887
- Birthplace
- Goes
- Died
- 8 November 1953
- Full name
- Johannes van Melle.
- Nationality
- South Africa.
- Occupation
- writer.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary summary
Jan van Melle (11 February 1887 – 8 November 1953) was the pen name of a Dutch-born South African writer. His real name was Johannes van Melle. He arrived in South Africa in 1906, and after a short sojourn in the Netherlands East Indies, settled in South Africa permanently in 1913.
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wikidata · Q3644480 · wikipedia · John van Melle
In this article
Biography
Biography
He worked as a teacher in many rural schools and soon started to publish in both Dutch and the newly emerging Afrikaans language. Van Melle's best known work is the novel Bart Nel, a classic of Afrikaans literature. It tells the tale of a farmer whose indomitable spirit allows him to survive the destruction and loss of his farm in wartime and being abandoned by his wife and family.
Key facts
Key facts
• Birth Name — Johannes van Melle • Born — 11 February 1887 • Birthplace — Goes • Died — 8 November 1953
Places
Named by the record
Places
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Goes.
Birth place
Johannesburg.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “John van Melle”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3644480: John van Melle
General reference · Wikidata
Citations
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reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
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