National Waiting for the Barbarians Day

National Waiting for the Barbarians Day is celebrated every November 4th and is dedicated to the novel Waiting for the Barbarians, written by Nobel Prize winner J. M. Coetzee, a writer from South Africa. His work was published in 1980 and tells the story of a “magistrate” who runs the settlement and is a devoted servant of the Empire.

History

John Maxwell Coetzee is a famous writer, linguist, translator with South African and Australian roots. To date, the author is included in the list of the most critically acclaimed English-language authors. His work has earned the writer not only the Nobel Prize, but also the Booker Prize, the CNA and several doctoral degrees. In addition to the famous novel “Waiting for the Barbarians” the author also wrote “The Life and Times of Michael K”, “Shame”, these were also highly acclaimed by critics.

Interesting Facts

• John Maxwell Coetzee is a man of the world, he lived and worked in many cities and countries – London, Texas, New York, now he lives in Adelaide.
• The British publishing house Penguin Books included “Waiting for the Barbarians” in the list of “Great Books of the 20th Century”.
• South Africa is the largest producer of macadamia nuts, and it is also a country of geniuses, because two Nobel laureates were born and grew up on the same street here.
• The world’s first heart transplant was performed in 1967 in Cape Town.
• Shipwrecks regularly occur off the coast of South Africa, more than 2500 ships have died here.

How to celebrate

Read any of Coetzee’s works to get a personal idea of ​​the literary masterpiece. Watch the film based on the novel “Waiting for the Barbarians”, enjoy the game of Johnny Depp and Robert Pattison. It’s always interesting to compare impressions of a book and a movie. If you like to travel, plan a trip to South Africa, this is a beautiful and original country, where, of course, there is something to see.

When is National Waiting for the Barbarians Day celebrated in 2022?

National Waiting for the Barbarians Day is observed on November 4 each year.

Observations