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Wilbur Smith

ウィルバー・スミス

Uirubā Sumisu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1933-01-09 （Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia (now Kabwe, Zambia)）
Died
2021-11-13 （Cape Town, South Africa） age 88
Nationality
South Africa
Languages
English
Residence History
United Kingdom → South Africa → Malta → Switzerland

Career

Occupations
novelist, journalist
Active Years
1950-2021
Influenced By
Cecil Scott Forester, H. Rider Haggard, John Buchan, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Lawrence Durrell, Robert Graves

Education

Rhodes University
Faculty of Commerce / Commerce
Degree: Bachelor of Commerce
Country: South Africa
While at university he worked in gold mines and on trawlers during holidays.

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

When the Lion Feeds

1964 Adventure fiction

A debut novel set in 19th-century southern Africa, following family drama and adventures around gold mining.

Africafamilywealth and power

The Dark of the Sun

1965 Action/Adventure

Set during the Congo Crisis, it follows mercenaries on a violent, dangerous mission.

warmercenariesmoral ambiguity
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Dark of the Sun (The Mercenaries) / Jack Cardiff (1968)

River God

1993 Historical adventure

A historical adventure set in ancient Egypt, combining intrigue, adventure, and interest in Egyptian culture.

ancient historyadventureintrigue

Bibliography

  • When the Lion Feeds (1964)
  • The Dark of the Sun (1965)
  • The Sound of Thunder (1966)
  • Shout at the Devil (1968)
  • Gold Mine (1970)
  • The Diamond Hunters (1971)
  • River God (1993)
  • The Seventh Scroll (1995)
  • Birds of Prey (1997)
  • Call of the Raven (2020)

Adaptations

  • The Dark of the Sun (1968 film)
  • Gold (1974 film)
  • Wild Thunder / The Burning Shore (1993 film)

Translations of Works

  • When the Lion Feeds (Japanese translation: 密猟者)
  • Gold (Japanese translation)
  • The Diamond Hunters (Japanese translation)
  • River God (Japanese translation)
  • The Seventh Scroll (Japanese translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
adventure-driven prosehard-boiled elementsstraightforward, fast-paced narration
Recurring Motifs
the African continentfamily and dynastic sagasconflicts over wealth and resources

Health

  • Malaria (childhood)
    幼年期
    Contracted in childhood but recovered; no long-term reported effects.

Legacy

Wilbur Smith was a bestselling novelist known for adventure novels set largely in southern Africa; many of his works were adapted for film and television. He is regarded as a major popular-adventure author.

In Popular Culture

  • Became internationally known through film adaptations and translations.

Trivia

  • Born in Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia (now Kabwe, Zambia).
  • Debut novel When the Lion Feeds was at one point censored/banned in South Africa.
  • Published around 45 novels in his lifetime, many of which became international bestsellers.