▁youth ▁aud ien ces . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁she ▁has ▁been ▁settled ▁in ▁France ▁with ▁her ▁husband ▁and ▁three ▁children . ▁Van ▁der ▁V y ver ▁wrote ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁hum orous ▁ess ays ▁detail ing ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide ▁of ▁France , ▁titled ▁Die ▁h art ▁van ▁on s ▁h uis ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁after ▁which ▁her ▁first ▁volume ▁of ▁short ▁stories , ▁Best em m ings ▁was ▁released , ▁together ▁with ▁an ▁English ▁counter part . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Cape ▁Town ▁on ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁and ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Bell ville , ▁Men lo ▁Park ▁and ▁got ▁her ▁early ▁education ▁from ▁Ho ë r sk ool ▁N els pr uit . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁in ▁a ▁national ▁A frika ans ▁poetry ▁competition ▁for ▁mat ric ▁pup ils , ▁she ▁won ▁a ▁study ▁b urs ary ▁for ▁four ▁years ▁at ▁the ▁university ▁of ▁her ▁choice . ▁She ▁chose ▁St ellen bos ch ▁University , ▁where ▁she ▁participated ▁in ▁D . J . ▁O pp erman ' s ▁poetry ▁work sh ops ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁B A ▁degree , ▁major ing ▁in ▁A frika ans ▁and ▁French , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁The ▁following ▁year , ▁she ▁acquired ▁an ▁hon ours ▁degree ▁in ▁journal ism . ▁She ▁completed ▁a ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁journal ism ▁several ▁years ▁later . ▁After ▁returning ▁to ▁South ▁Africa ▁after ▁a ▁year