Five Fabulous Books by South African Authors
By Treive Nicholas
About the time of the Covid pandemic I read or re-read, five fabulous books by South African authors. I thought I’d share them with you, and maybe even inspire you.
The authors represent South Africa’s broad racial mix, and the central theme of each book is the country, South Africa, whether in fiction or non-fiction format.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
(John Murray. 304 pages. Non-fiction)
Never a dull moment, as Trevor Noah, recounts growing up as a kid of mixed race in South Africa. Such an easy read. From the moment you hear of his mother throwing him out of a moving car, you know you’re in for a full-on true story. I found myself laughing out loud one moment, and quietly reflecting the next.
The Heart of Redness by Zakes Mda
(Picador. 277 pages. Fiction)
Zakes Mda creates an intriguing novel based on the infamous 19th-century Xhosa Cattle Killing. By telling one story in the 1850s and another in the present day, Zakes cleverly illustrates that many of the challenges between traditionalists and progressives are the same and remain stark, still unresolved. Vivid characters lubricate the storytelling.
The Promise by Damon Galgut
(Vintage. 304 pages. Fiction)
This was the Booker Prize Winner 2021, and I can see why. It takes a little effort to get started and understand the characters, but in the end, you are richly rewarded with an engrossing inter-generational story about a family and their farm near Pretoria. You’ll recognise many of the characters and themes from recent decades, as old and new South Africa evolve.
The Native Commissioner by Shaun Johnson
(Penguin. 256 pages. Fiction)
I was so moved by this book I found myself reaching for the box of tissues. To show my appreciation, I dropped the author an email. A couple of weeks later, completely out of the blue Shaun Johnson telephoned me in the UK from Cape Town. I was immensely flattered, and a little tongue-tied at first, before we chatted about our mutual interests in South Africa. I told him that his writing had motivated me to complete a draft of my first book, A Nun and the Pig – Tales from South Africa, my 'Accidental Book'.
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
(Abacus. 784 pages. Non-fiction)
Long Walk was a great source of inspiration on first reading many years ago, so during the lockdown, I listened to it as an audiobook. This proved a real enhancement as I got to re-familiarise myself with the thinking of Mandela’s great mind, historical events from his perspective, and how he addressed the very considerable personal and political challenges life threw his way. Re-invigorated by the audiobook, I visited Mandela’s place of birth at Mvezo and the family village at Qunu, as well as Mthatha.
Treive Nicholas
Apologies, but my list of 'Books by South African authors' doesn’t include any female writers. Perhaps you could drop me a line recommending female authors from Southern Africa: treive.nicholas@btinternet.com