In the 1950s, Peter Blum was hailed as the most important poetic voice in Afrikaans of that decade. However, some considered his work “decadent” and spoke of his work representing a poetic “maggot cult”. With stinging satire, he lashed out at the Afrikaners and the literary holy cows of the time. In 1960, he and his wife, Hetta, left South Africa for England. It was, he said, “out of disgust.” Soon afterward, he put away his pen. Visitors were few, and the cord of the doorbell was removed. Hetta’s mental state deteriorated, and she became unhinged.
