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Karin Schimke

{{short description|South African journalist and poet (born 1968)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Karin Schimke

| honorific_suffix =

| image = Karin Schimke.jpg

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1968}}

| nationality = South African

| alma_mater = University of Pretoria, University of Stellenbosch (1991)

| occupation = Writer and editor, poet, translator

| notable_works = Bare and Breaking (2012), Navigate (2017), The Karen Book of Rules (2020)

| children = Oliver Keohane, Julia Keohane

| awards = {{ubl|Ingrid Jonker Prize|Sol Plaatje Translation Award|SALA}}

}}

Karin Schimke (born 1968) is a South African writer. She has won awards for her poetry and literary translations. She works as a writer and editor.

Early life

Karin Schimke was born in1968 in Pretoria, South Africa to a German father and Afrikaans mother. She attended Clapham High School in Queenswood before going on to study languages at the University of Pretoria. She obtained a postgraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Stellenbosch and started her writing career in 1991, working as a bilingual news reporter at Die Eikestadnuus, an award-winning community newspaper in Stellenbosch. She started working full-time as a reporter for The Argus the following year. She spent two years working at The Star in Johannesburg but has spent most of her adult life in Cape Town.

Career

=Writing=

Schimke worked at some of South Africa's largest newspapers including The Argus, The Star and The Cape Times, as a political reporter, before going freelance in 2000.{{Cite web|title=About Karin Schimke {{!}} Karin Schimke|url=http://karinschimke.bookslive.co.za/about/|access-date=2020-11-02|language=en-US|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803110945/http://karinschimke.bookslive.co.za/about/|url-status=dead}} She returned to The Cape Times for five years as the freelance books page editor from 2010 to 2015.

Schimke has contributed to a broad range of newspapers and magazines including Mail & Guardian, Daily Maverick.,{{Cite web|last=Schimke|first=Karin|date=2020-05-14|title=MAVERICK CITIZEN: FRIDAY ACTIVIST: Glenda Gray: the woman heading up South Africa's sub-team of Covid-19 pandemic research advisors|url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-05-14-glenda-gray-the-woman-heading-up-south-africas-team-of-50-expert-covid-19-pandemic-advisors/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=Daily Maverick|language=en}} The Sunday Times,{{Cite web|title=Comics are an emerging art form in South Africa|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2016-02-21-comics-are-an-emerging-art-form-in-south-africa/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=TimesLIVE|language=en-ZA}} Marie Claire, Visi,{{Cite web|date=2014-04-02|title=Offices for sharing|url=https://visi.co.za/offices-for-sharing/|access-date=2020-08-21|website=Visi|language=en-US}} Elle, Financial Mail, Business Day, African Decisions, The Argus, The Star, The Cape Times, Rapport, Fair Lady,{{Cite web|title=Fairlady {{!}} THE SMART READ FOR SMART WOMEN|url=https://www.fairlady.com/|access-date=2020-08-21|language=en-US}} Real Simple, High Life and Psychologies. She was a humour columnist for Femina magazine, as well as for Parent24{{Cite web|last=Schimke|first=Karin|date=|title=Columnist Parent24|url=https://m.parent24.com/Columnists/Karin_Schimke|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=}}

In 2006, Schimke co-authored the bestselling, Fabulously 40 and beyond: coming into your power and embracing change,{{Cite web|title=Book of the Week: Fabulously 40 and beyond {{!}} REPRESENT.CO.ZA|url=http://represent.co.za/book-of-the-week-fabulously-40-and-beyond/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=represent.co.za}} with Margie Orford and her latest book, The Karen Book of Rules (NB Publishers){{Cite web|title=NB Publishers {{!}} The Karen Book of Rules|url=http://www.nb.co.za/en/view-book/?id=9780624090915|access-date=2020-10-18|website=}} with comedy writer Karen Jeynes,{{Cite web|title=Karen Jeynes|url=https://www.sawriterscollege.co.za/About+Us/Meet+the+Tutors/Karen+Jeynes.html|access-date=2020-10-18|website=www.sawriterscollege.co.za|archive-date=21 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921004256/https://www.sawriterscollege.co.za/About+Us/Meet+the+Tutors/Karen+Jeynes.html|url-status=dead}} was released in September 2020.{{Cite web|title=Karen Jeynes|url=https://www.sawriterscollege.co.za/About+Us/Meet+the+Tutors/Karen+Jeynes.html|access-date=2020-08-21|website=www.sawriterscollege.co.za|archive-date=21 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921004256/https://www.sawriterscollege.co.za/About+Us/Meet+the+Tutors/Karen+Jeynes.html|url-status=dead}}

= Poetry =

Schimke's debut poetry collection, Bare & Breaking (Modjaji Books),{{Cite web|title=Bare & Breaking {{!}} Modjaji Books|url=https://www.modjajibooks.co.za/titles/bare-breaking/|access-date=2020-07-31|language=en-GB}} was published in 2012. The collection won the Ingrid Jonker Prize in 2014.{{Cite web|last=at 17:14|first=Karina Szczurek 2014-09-26|date=2014-09-26|title=2014 Ingrid Jonker Prize for English Poetry|url=https://www.litnet.co.za/2014-ingrid-jonker-prize-for-english-poetry/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=LitNet}} Her second volume, Navigate (Modjaji Books), was published in 2017.{{Cite web|date=2018-03-05|title='How does one take part in a national dialogue when your voice carries this baggage?' Antjie Krog interviews award-winning poet Karin Schimke|url=https://johannesburgreviewofbooks.com/2018/03/05/how-does-one-take-part-in-a-national-dialogue-when-your-voice-carries-this-baggage-antjie-krog-interviews-award-winning-poet-karin-schimke/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=The Johannesburg Review of Books|language=en-US}}

She has performed her own poetry at the Woordfees, Badilisha Poetry X-Change,{{Cite web|title=Karin Schimke {{!}} Badilisha Poetry – Pan-African Poets|url=http://badilishapoetry.com/karin-schimke/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=badilishapoetry.com}} the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefee and poetry-on-the-road in Bremen,{{Cite web|date=2013-06-10|title=poetry on the road, bremen, germany|url=https://rozalie.com/poetry-on-the-road-bremen/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=rozalie hirs|language=en-US}} Germany, in various podcasts and in radio interviews. Her work has been published in New Coin, New Contrast, Stanzas and Carapace{{Cite web|title=Carapace poetry magazine|url=https://carapacepoetry.co.za/|access-date=2020-08-21|website=carapacepoetry.co.za}} and has been featured in Paris Lit Up magazine, Atlanta Review, Mslexia, as well as a collection of poetry from South Africa translated into German, called Ankunft eines weiteren Tages,{{Cite book|last=Schimke|first=Karin|date=|title=Poetry Translation|id={{ASIN|3884234250|country=uk}} }} published by Afrika Wunderhorn.{{Cite web|title=Verlag Das Wunderhorn – Auf diesen Seiten finden Sie das gesamte lieferbare Buchprogramm unseres Verlags, das Sie hier auch bequem online bestellen können.|url=https://www.wunderhorn.de/|access-date=2020-08-21|language=de-DE}}

=Translations=

In 2019, Schimke, together with Leon de Kock, won the 2019 Sol Plaatje Translation Award{{Cite web|last=Africa|first=PEN South|title=Karin Schimke {{!}} PEN South Africa|url=http://pensouthafrica.co.za/tag/karin-schimke/|access-date=2020-07-31|language=en-US}} for Flame in the Snow, the English translation of Vlam in die Sneeu, a collection of love letters written in the 1960s between novelist André Brink and poet Ingrid Jonker.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Flame in the Snow – the love letters of André Brink and Ingrid Jonker|url=https://www.litnet.co.za/flame-in-the-snow-the-love-letters-of-andre-brink-and-ingrid-jonker/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Litnet}} She regularly translates the work of the well-known Afrikaans thriller writer Irma Venter.

=Editor=

Schimke edited Open{{Cite web|title=Open|url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/14680239-open-an-erotic-anthology-by-south-african-women-writers|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.goodreads.com}} (Oshun, Struik, 2008) a collection of women's erotic writing by some of South Africa's top female writers. She has edited the work of well-known South African authors like Martin Steyn,{{Cite web|title=martin steyn|url=https://www.martinsteyn.com/|access-date=2020-08-21|website=www.martinsteyn.com}} Chanette Paul,{{Cite web|title=Chanette Paul|url=https://www.chanettepaul.co.za/|access-date=2020-08-21|website=Chanette Paul|language=en|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924090036/https://www.chanettepaul.co.za/|url-status=dead}} Dov Fedler{{Cite web|title=Dov Fedler {{!}} Africartoons|url=http://africartoons.com/cartoonist/dov-fedler|access-date=2020-08-21|website=africartoons.com}} and Bronwyn Davids{{Cite web|title=An authentic South African family story|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/books/non-fiction/2020-06-12-an-authentic-south-african-family-story/|access-date=2020-08-21|website=TimesLIVE|language=en-ZA}}

=Writing coach=

Schimke is a writing coach,{{Cite web|date=2016-11-08|title=Karin Schimke on a writing workshop in Stanford |url=https://www.litnet.co.za/karin-schimke-writing-workshop-stanford/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=LitNet}} developmental editor, course designer and mentor.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Awards and honours

Selected works

= Poetry =

= Non-fiction books =

  • Fabulously 40 and Beyond: Coming into Your Power and Embracing Change (With Margie Orford - 30 September 2006). Spearhead P. {{ISBN|978-0-86486-588-5}}.
  • The Karen Book of Rules with Karen Jeynes, 2020 {{ISBN|9780624090915}}
  • Contraception and Prevention (Pearson Education 2011) {{ISBN|9780435074999}}
  • The Internet (Pearson Education 2011) {{ISBN|0435075039}}

= Journalist =

‘We are all petrified.’ An interview with Robert A. Hamblin. Daily Maverick June 2021{{Cite web|last=Schimke|first=Karin|date=2021-06-20|title=A Queer and Crooked Memory: 'We are all petrified.' An interview with Robert Hamblin|url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-06-20-we-are-all-petrified-an-interview-with-robert-hamblin/|access-date=2021-09-27|website=Daily Maverick|language=en}}

= Editor =

  • Open: An Erotic Anthology by South African Women Writers (Oshun 2008). {{ISBN|1770075720}}

= Contributor =

  • Difficult to Explain (Modjaji Books 2010) {{ISBN|978-1-920397-23-4}}
  • Living While Feminist: Our Bodies, Our Truths (NB Publishers). {{ISBN|9780795709418}}

= Translation =

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [https://notnowdarling.co.za/ Karin Schimke blog] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128030415/https://notnowdarling.co.za/ |date=28 January 2022 }}
  • [https://poetryarchive.org/poet/karin-schimke/ Karin Schimke poetry]

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Category:21st-century South African poets

Category:South African women poets

Category:21st-century South African writers

Category:21st-century South African women writers

Category:South African non-fiction writers

Category:1968 births

Category:Living people