Bryce Courtenay — South African Novelist born on August 14, 1933, died on November 22, 2012

Bryce Courtenay, AM was a South African novelist who also held Australian citizenship. He is one of Australia's best-selling authors, notable for his book The Power of One... (wikipedia)

I was born illegitimately and almost immediately, as I understand it, placed in an orphanage. So my very earliest memories were in an orphanage. It was the tag end of the Great Depression when I was born. People were desperately poor.
The only thing that's authentic about what a writer writes is his work.
My job is essentially that of an entertainer, no different to that of a musician, no different to that of an actor. I just happen to be an author.
People say I don't write books, I make Christmas presents.
If I were king of the world there wouldn't be boat people, there would only be people coming in boats. I would mix us all up so that we were all exactly one shade of each other.