Letter From Nadine Gordimer to VQR Editor, July 7, 1951.

Courtesy of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia

Nadine Gordimer began her international career in 1951 when she received her first letter of acceptance for publication in an American magazine, the Virginia Quarterly Review. Editor Charlotte Kohler chose her short story “The Catch” for publication in the Summer issue of that year. From the 1960s on, Gordimer became an active commentator on South African politics through her writing and global activism. Affiliating herself with the African National Congress, she encouraged her audiences and government to abolish the institution of apartheid. Her position on the matter caused the South African government to ban several of her works. Her writings were recognized by the international community when she was awarded the 1974 Booker Prize, the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature, and the 2007 Legion of Honor, among many other accolades.