Laurens van der Post was born on December 13, 1906 in Philippolis, South Africa. He was a writer, known for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983), A Far Off Place (1993) and The Lost World of the Kalahari (1956). He was married to Ingaret Giffard and Marjorie Wendt. He died on December 15, 1996 in London, England.