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Sizwe Banzi Is Dead Author Biography

Fugard was born in Middleburg, Cape Province, South Africa, on June 11, 1932. When Fugard was three years old his family moved to the diverse city of Port Elizabeth. Growing up, Fugard was keenly aware of the racial divisions in the city and their economic and social consequences. Fugard attended the University of Cape Town on a scholarship, where he studied philosophy and social anthropology. In the middle of his senior year, he dropped out of college and became a sailor. Fugard was the only white crew member on the ship for two years, an experience that eliminated his racial prejudice.

When he returned to South Africa in 1956, he met and married Sheila Meiring, an actress. Fugard wanted to be a novelist indeed he finished a manuscript but watching his wife audition for plays, Fugard became interested in the theater too. They formed the Circle Players in Johannesburg.