A history of South African literature /

Heywood (Univ. of Sheffield, UK) has written a comprehensive study of South Africa's literature, from earliest tribal myth, through colonizers' accounts of battles for land and ideology, to the present. Categorizing each author according to the times and conditions, he discusses the works of Gordimer, Fugard, Malan, Sepamla, Mzamane, and others who gained international prominence by providing the world with a clear-eyed glimpse into the reality of apartheid and its effects. Spanning such subjects as tribal populations, colonization, struggles for national leadership, race relations, apartheid, and various versions of national identity, Heywood neatly lays out the literature that captured such profound social changes as the protest movements against the Land Act and other policies, the rise of black consciousness, and other social upheavals. Competing for creation of national memory are tribal voices, British and Dutch colonizers, the Afrikaner language, Indians, and other vital forces. This book affords the reader a unique overview of a vital and complex society and the racial divides, policies, and hostilities that drove its history and its literature for more than a century. ^BSumming Up: Essential. All collections; all levels. L. D. Talit Central Connecticut State University