South African · 1903–1988
Alan Paton was a South African writer and political activist. Born in Pietermaritzburg, he trained as a teacher, worked as principal of Diepkloof Reformatory near Johannesburg, and introduced reforms that gave young offenders more freedom and trust. He wrote his first novel, Cry, the Beloved Country (1948), while travelling abroad to study reformatories. It became an international bestseller and brought the suffering caused by racial injustice in South Africa to readers around the world. His second novel, Too Late the Phalarope (1953), is a tragedy set among Afrikaners. He also wrote short stories, biographies, and an autobiography, Towards the Mountain. Paton helped found the Liberal Party of South Africa in 1953 and led it in opposing apartheid by peaceful means. The government confiscated his passport for several years in the 1960s. He remained a public voice for reconciliation and moral responsibility until his death in 1988.