TAMMY FRAY
The late Vrij Harry, titan of Harry’s Printers and Publishers’ is the posthumous Durban International Book Fair (DIBF) 2025 lifetime achievement award recipient for his outstanding contribution towards promoting a writing and reading culture in the country. The award will be bestowed today (August 14).
Vrij, who passed away in 2022, helmed Harry’s Printers for more than three decades.
In this time, the company grew to include branches across the country, employ hundreds and paved the way for innovation in the industry.
Vrij was regarded as an astute entrepreneur with a heart for the community. His kindness and integrity in business earned him the marketing man of the year award in the late 1980s from the then East London Chamber of Business.
He was passionate about improving livelihoods through access to education and believed in the power of storytelling and reading.
Since his passing, Harry’s Printers has positioned East London as a literary hub for writers and authors — a dream that he would have been fulfilled by to see come to fruition. Harry’s Printers has played a pivotal role in promoting a literary culture amongst East London youth as well with their annual writing competition in honour of Vrij and Karuna, his wife who passed away shortly after him.
The conferral of the DIBF lifetime achievement award affirms the continued prescience of his legacy.
DIBF organiser Anivesh Singh said: “Vrij Harry was a legendary figure in the world of printing that helped many aspirant writers realise their dreams in print. The legacy he has built in Harry’s Printers continues to help writers achieve their dreams.”
Fellow lifetime award recipients for 2025 include author Cyril James and Judge Chris Nicholson who practised as a human rights lawyer during apartheid and went onto write work of national importance including Who killed the Cradock Four?, which was nominated for an Alan Paton prize for non-fiction.
Vrij’s daughter Poonam said the award is a full-circle moment for the family, affirming the wisdom of previous generations of the family, who embraced innovation and adapted from a general trader to printing and publishing, as technology advanced.
Poonam said the love of the written word launched a family business that has stood for 95 years and to have this commemorated with a lifetime achievement award for her late father is an affirmation of the pioneering spirit inherent in the Harry’s brand.
She said: “Five generations ago, our forefathers couldn’t access education so they couldn’t read or write because of the caste system in India but they never allowed their circumstances to determine what they could achieve.
“They took a chance and settled in SA. Finally their courage has brought the family brand to the point of achieving an award for reading and writing — a feat they could only have dreamed of.
“This award would have meant so much to my father and he would have credited the wisdom of our family’s forefathers and the unwavering support of the community for our success as a business.
“We continue to be overwhelmed by how despite their passing, our parents legacy is still alive because of the love and support we receive from the community. People have stood by Harry’s in the last few years despite the challenges we have faced and we grow from strength to strength because of our community.
“There are exciting changes ahead as we adapt to the changes AI will bring to printing and publishing, which will involve scaling bigger and moving from our premises in Vincent. As the Harry’s before us, we will use technology to further our business legacy while playing an active role in the welfare of our community.”
Poonam will also be recounting the history of Harry’s Printers with a talk at DIBF, which demonstrates the long history of innovative success the family made of their fortunes since their initial shop opened in 1929 in Southernwood.
