John van.de.Ruit author page

John van de Ruit biography

John van de Ruit is a South African author and playwright, best known for his work in children’s and young adult literature. He studied Drama at the University of Natal, where he completed both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Van de Ruit has worked as an actor, playwright, and producer, and has been involved in various theatre productions.

He is the author of the Spud series, which follows the life of a boy at a South African boarding school. The first book, Spud, was published in 2005 by Penguin Books. The series continued with Spud – The Madness Continues… (2007), Spud – Learning to Fly (2009), and Spud – Exit, Pursued by a Bear (2012). The books are set in the early 1990s and draw on van de Ruit’s own experiences at boarding school.

In addition to his novels, van de Ruit has co-written and performed in the satirical stage production Green Mamba with Ben Voss. His work in both literature and theatre has contributed to contemporary South African culture.

John van de Ruit’s debut novel, Spud, was published by Penguin Books in 2005.