Anoeschka von Meck (born 1967) is a Namibian author who writes in the Afrikaans language.
Von Meck is of German descent, and was born in Mariental, and lived for a while in Henties Bay.[1] In 1983, von Meck moved to the United States to finish high school, graduating from Lynchburg Christian Academy in Virginia.[2] She then studied at Saddleback College before moving to San Francisco to study marine biology and comparative religions. Whilst in the United States, von Meck won the Golden Poet Award, given by the International Poetry Society.[1]
Von Meck returned to Africa and studied archaeology and religion in the University of Cape Town and Egyptology at Stellenbosch University.[1] She then worked as a matron in a children’s home and then as a journalist.[2] She was a full-time reporter for Die Republikein.[1]
Von Meck’s breakthrough novel, Vaselinetjie, was published in 2004. It won three literary awards: the Rapport/Jan Rabie Prize for fresh, new literary voices in Afrikaans, the MER Prize for Youth Literature, and the M-Net Prize for an Afrikaans text in short format.[2] Vaselinetjie was adapted for the stage and performed in Cape Town in 2010.[2] A film based on the novel was released in 2017.[4]
In 2019 Von Meck traveled close to 14 000 km through South Africa to gather stories of hope from people affected by the severe drought tom compile the book, Net voor die droogte my breek for Christian Literature Fund.
Anoeschka von Meck is nie net self ʼn uitgesproke Christen nie, maar ook ʼn plaaskind wat tans op Calvinia woon waar boere swaar gebuk gaan onder die droogte, diefstal en nadersluipende geweldsmisdaad van plaasmoorde.
Sy skryf voor sy met die projek begin:
- “Vir etlike jare dra ek die boeregemeenskap van SA swaar op die hart. Wanneer boere na mekaar uitreik en mekaar deur uitmergelende tye help, roer dit my diep.”
- “Ek word nie gedryf deur gierigheid of ‘n soeke na populariteit nie, maar deur my verhouding met my Vader en Here Jesus. Ek kies dinge om by betrokke te raak waarin ek GLO en wat ek meen integriteit het – en hierdie projek het dit beslis!”
