Johannes Petrus Spies (30 June 1936 – 4 January 1996) was a Namibian author and popular storyteller. Alongside P.G. du Plessis he was the presenter of the popular television program Spies en Plessie – met permissie, and hosted personalities like Tolla van der Merwe, Koos Meyer, Danny Pretorius, Nico Nel and Pyp de Villiers. Life and work Early life Spies was born on 30 June 1936 on the farm Sekretarispan in the district of Mariental in South West Africa as the oldest of three children with two younger sisters. His father was originally from Standerton and his mother from Willowmore in South Africa. His parents emigrated to South West Africa after the First World War after South Africa took over the administration of South West Africa. They received cheap land from the government to farm on. Up to standard four, he attended the farm school at Stampriet, which was primarily aimed at giving the children agricultural training. He completed his primary school career in Windhoek and matriculated in 1955 at Windhoek High School. After that he first studied Theology and later Literature at the University of Pretoria, where in 1959 he was editor of the student magazine Die Perdeby and also served on the student council. At an Afrikaanse Studentebond Kunsfees he won first prize as a landscape painter and in 1961 he won the Wolnit trophy as an orator. He holds a B.A. degree and a B.A. Honors degree. After his honors degree he registered with the Transvaal Education Department as a teacher. In 1962 he obtained the M.A. degree in Afrikaans literature with a dissertation on 'n Stilistiese analise van 'Ringdans van die hamerkoppe' van D.J. Opperman. He married Beatrice in 1961, whom he met in standard eight in high school, and they had two sons, Barend and Willem. Career After his studies he worked for one and a half years at the Department of Mining. From April 1963 he was a lecturer in Afrikaans at the Transvaal Training Institute for Indian Teachers in Fordsburg and during this period he obtained his Higher Education Diploma at the Johannesburg College of Education. From January 1970 to June 1977 he was involved as a lecturer at the Rand Afrikaans University. Here he obtained his doctorate in 1974 under the guidance of Professor F.I.J. van Rensburg with a dissertation on Die motiewe van ondergang en verlossing in die poësie van D.J.