Description

My Mother’s Laughter: Selected Poems by Chris van Wyk is a moving and essential collection celebrating the voice of one of South Africa’s most significant and loved poets. This carefully curated volume brings together a selection of van Wyk’s poems, including pieces from his landmark 1979 debut It Is Time to Go Home and verses published in literary magazines and his bestselling memoir Shirley, Goodness & Mercy. It offers readers a rare opportunity to encounter the full range of van Wyk’s poetic legacy in one accessible volume.

Known for his sharp irony, compassion, and ability to capture the beauty and hardships of township life, van Wyk’s poetry reveals the ordinary and overlooked details of daily existence, turning them into poignant reflections on society, memory, and resilience. His verse never shies away from the political realities of apartheid South Africa, yet it also celebrates humanity, humour, and family in the face of adversity. My Mother’s Laughter is both a tribute to a rich literary career and a timely reminder of van Wyk’s enduring voice in South African literature.

Ideal for readers of African poetry, social history, and those seeking works that blend political insight with everyday human experience, this collection cements Chris van Wyk’s place as one of the country’s finest poetic talents.