# Nadine Gordimer

> South African writer (1923–2014)

**Wikidata**: [Q47619](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47619)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadine_Gordimer)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/nadine-gordimer

## Summary
Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer and Nobel laureate active from 1939 to 2012. She is best known for her novels and short stories, which earned her the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Booker Prize. Her work established her as a significant figure in global literature, leading to memberships in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Society of Literature.

## Biography
- **Born:** November 20, 1923
- **Nationality:** South African
- **Education:** Affiliated with the University of the Witwatersrand and Harvard University
- **Known for:** Literary contributions as a novelist, short story writer, and playwright; recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature
- **Employer(s):** Not specified in source material
- **Field(s):** Literature

## Contributions
Nadine Gordimer's literary career spanned over seven decades, beginning in 1939 and concluding in 2012. She authored several notable novels, including *The Conservationist* (1974), *Burger's Daughter* (1979), and *July's People* (1981). Her body of work encompasses a wide range of formats, including novels, short stories, plays, prose, and poetry. She also served as a scientific editor. Her contributions to literature have been recognized globally, influencing the field of letters and securing her place among the most celebrated authors of the 20th century.

## FAQs
**What awards did Nadine Gordimer win?**
Nadine Gordimer received numerous prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Booker Prize, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, the WH Smith Literary Award, the Nelly Sachs Prize, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, the Central News Agency Literary Award, and the Officer of the Legion of Honour.

**What are Nadine Gordimer's most famous works?**
Her most famous works include the novels *The Conservationist* (1974), *Burger's Daughter* (1979), and *July's People* (1981). She also wrote short stories, plays, and prose throughout her career.

**Where was Nadine Gordimer affiliated?**
She was affiliated with the University of the Witwatersrand, a public research university in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

**What was Nadine Gordimer's profession?**
She was a writer who held various specific roles, including novelist, short story writer, playwright, scientific editor, prose writer, and poet.

**How long was Nadine Gordimer active?**
Her work period began in 1939 and ended in 2012.

## Why They Matter
Nadine Gordimer holds a critical place in literary history due to her recognition as a Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, which signifies the global impact and artistic merit of her writing. Her membership in distinguished institutions such as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Society of Literature underscores her intellectual influence and the respect she commanded among her peers. Beyond her written output, her legacy is cemented in scientific and geographical nomenclature; a crater on Mercury and a species of arachnid (*Spermophora gordimerae*) are named after her, reflecting a broad cultural and scientific significance that extends beyond traditional literary boundaries.

## Notable For
- Winning the Nobel Prize in Literature.
- Winning the Booker Prize.
- Authoring the novels *The Conservationist*, *Burger's Daughter*, and *July's People*.
- Receiving the James Tait Black Memorial Prize.
- Receiving the WH Smith Literary Award.
- Receiving the Nelly Sachs Prize.
- Receiving the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards.
- Receiving the Central News Agency Literary Award.
- Being appointed an Officer of the Legion of Honour.
- Membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- Membership in the Royal Society of Literature.
- Having a crater on Mercury named "Gordimer".
- Having a species of arachnid named *Spermophora gordimerae*.

## Body
### Identity and Career
Nadine Gordimer was a South African writer born on November 20, 1923, who passed away on July 13, 2014. Throughout her life, she held multiple professional identities, serving as a novelist, short story writer, playwright, scientific editor, prose writer, and poet. Her primary field of work was literature, with a professional career that spanned from 1939 until 2012. She was a citizen of South Africa and is classified under the broader category of humans within taxonomic systems.

### Literary Works
Gordimer's bibliography includes significant contributions to the novel form. Her notable works include *The Conservationist*, published in 1974; *Burger's Daughter*, published in 1979; and *July's People*, published in 1981. In addition to these novels, she produced works in the genre of novellas and general literature. Her writing often engaged with the complex social and political dynamics of her time, although the specific themes of individual works are not detailed in the provided source material.

### Affiliations and Memberships
Gordimer maintained affiliations with prominent academic institutions. She was associated with the University of the Witwatersrand, a public research university located in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her standing in the literary world was further solidified by her memberships in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an honorary society and policy research center in the United States, and the Royal Society of Literature, a literature society based in London.

### Recognition and Awards
Over the course of her career, Gordimer accumulated a vast array of literary awards. She was a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, one of the five prizes established by Alfred Nobel. She also won the Booker Prize, a prestigious British literary award. Her other accolades include the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, awarded for fiction; the WH Smith Literary Award; the Nelly Sachs Prize, an international German literary prize; the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, a US literary award; and the Central News Agency Literary Award, a South African award. Additionally, she was honored as an Officer of the Legion of Honour, the second rank of the French Legion of Honour.

### Legacy and Namesakes
The impact of Gordimer's life and work is reflected in the physical and scientific world. A crater on the planet Mercury bears the name "Gordimer." Furthermore, a specific species of arachnid has been taxonomically named *Spermophora gordimerae* in her honor. These distinctions highlight the breadth of her influence, reaching beyond literature into the realms of astronomy and biology.

## References

1. The Feminist Companion to Literature in English
2. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
3. BnF authorities
4. Integrated Authority File
5. [Source](http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1991/gordimer-facts.html)
6. [Source](https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/about/amounts/)
7. [Source](https://thebookerprizes.com/fiction/backlist/1974)
8. CiNii Research
9. [Source](https://research.reading.ac.uk/diasporicarchives/collections/)
10. Internet Speculative Fiction Database
11. Discogs
12. FemBio database
13. [Brockhaus Enzyklopädie](https://brockhaus.de/ecs/julex/article/gordimer-nadine)
14. Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana
15. Roglo
16. Proleksis Encyclopedia
17. Munzinger Personen
18. Third World Women's Literatures
19. [Source](http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2014/07/14/nadine-gordimer-ecrivain-afrique-du-sud-mort-prix-nobel-litterature_n_5584172.html)
20. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
21. Virtual International Authority File
22. [Source](https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-476-03702-2_139)
23. Davos 2004 List of Participants
24. [Source](https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/get-a-life)
25. [Source](https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-pickup)
26. CONOR.SI
27. Autoritats UB
28. BBC Things
29. Czech National Authority Database
30. Goodreads
31. Treccani's Enciclopedia on line
32. Quora
33. Enciclopedia Treccani
34. The Movie Database
35. LIBRIS. 2014
36. The Fine Art Archive