South African Literature

With a spellbindingly beautiful landscape and a brutal history, South Africa is a country steeped in contradictions. Including works by Zakes Mda and Lauren Beukes, this collection gathers texts by some of the nation's premier writers.

Publication year 2011Genre Graphic Novel/Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: ColonialismTags History: African , Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: World

Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: GenderTags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), African American Literature, History: World

Publication year 2016Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, History: African , Humor, Biography

Born a Crime is a comedic autobiographical work chronicling Trevor Noah’s childhood growing up in South Africa during and after apartheid. Published in 2016, it became a New York Times bestseller, and it is currently being adapted into a film. Born a Crime doesn’t follow a linear timeline; rather, the narrative jumps in time, offering anecdotes from Noah’s past. Before each chapter begins, there is a prologue that’s related to the content of the upcoming... Read Born a Crime Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags History: African , African Literature, Race / Racism, Education, Education, African American Literature, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography

Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa (1998) is a work of narrative nonfiction by Antjie Krog originally published in South Africa. This guide refers to the American edition of the text (1999) that includes an epilogue, glossary, Cast of Characters, and introduction not included in the South African edition, as well as the addition of the subtitle. Krog, an Afrikaner poet-turned-journalist who covered the Truth... Read Country of My Skull Summary


Publication year 1948Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: ForgivenessTags Historical Fiction, African Literature, Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Cry, the Beloved Country is a 1948 work of historical fiction by Alan Paton. Set in South Africa, it follows a Christian reverend named Stephen Kumalo, who lives in a Zulu village called Ndotsheni. Geographically isolated from his brother John, his sister Gertrude, and his son Absalom, Stephen becomes worried when he stops hearing from them. He travels to Johannesburg to check up on them. Cry, the Beloved Country is known for illuminating a historically... Read Cry, the Beloved Country Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: New AgeTags African Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction

Disgrace (1999) is a novel by South African author J. M. Coetzee. It follows a white South African professor of English as he navigates the changing world of post-apartheid South Africa. Disgrace won the Booker Prize after its publication in 1999 and, four years later, Coetzee was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. In 2008, the novel was adapted into a movie starring John Malkovich and Jessica Haines. This guide uses the 1999 Secker &... Read Disgrace Summary


Publication year 2015Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Biography

Publication year 1985Genre Novel, Fiction

Fiela’s Child, a novel by Dalene Matthee, is set in South Africa in the mid-nineteenth century. It is the first of four in a series, each volume treating the Knysna Forest and its native inhabitants as its subject. Matthee was a veteran hiker and researcher, and her time in the region is evident in her exquisite renderings of the region.  The narrative shifts points of view, but the majority of the action is seen through... Read Fiela's Child (Fiela se Kind) Summary


Publication year 1986Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: FemininityTags Gender / Feminism, Historical Fiction, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Foe is a 1986 novel by J. M. Coetzee. Foe is a parallel novel, reimagining the story of Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe from the perspective of a shipwrecked woman named Susan Barton, who then tries to convince a fictionalized version of Defoe to write her story. This guide refers to the 2015 Penguin edition. Content Warning: The source material uses outdated, offensive terms for Black people throughout, which is replicated in this guide... Read Foe Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionTags Education, Disability, Psychology, Psychology, Biography, Health / Medicine

Ghost Boy: The Miraculous Escape of a Misdiagnosed Boy Trapped Inside His Own Body (2011) is a memoir written by Martin Pistorius with Megan Lloyd Davies. The autobiography details Martin’s childhood misdiagnosis, a mistake that cost him years of his life where he could not communicate with anyone around him. Martin is a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, who at the age of 12 suddenly and mysteriously started losing all control of his muscles and... Read Ghost Boy Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags History: World, Arts / Culture, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism

Publication year 1964Genre Essay / Speech, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Politics / Government, History: African , Race / Racism, History: World

Publication year 1978Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Society: ColonialismTags Race / Racism, History: African , Politics / Government, Social Justice, Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Biography

Publication year 1981Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Military / War, African Literature

July’s People, a 1981 dystopian novel by South African author Nadine Gordimer, imagines the aftermath of a bloody uprising that topples South Africa’s notorious, white-ruled apartheid regime. Her novel, which follows a white family’s desperate flight from Johannesburg, traces the complex interdependencies of white and Black South Africans, revealing the insidiousness of the regime’s racial disparities and mindsets, even among liberal, well-meaning white people. Through the lens of this hypothetical future, Gordimer’s novel explores racial... Read July's People Summary


Publication year 1986Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionTags History: African , Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: World, Biography

Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa is the true account of the life of Mark (born Johannes) Mathabane, a South African tennis player who grew up during apartheid. The autobiography, published in 1986, describes Mathabane’s poverty-stricken childhood in Alexandra, a black ghetto into which hundreds of thousands of blacks were crammed into sub-standardized housing. During his childhood, the author’s family is subjected to constant police... Read Kaffir Boy Summary


Publication year 1994Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionTags Politics / Government

Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela tells the life story of South Africa’s first post-apartheid president. Mandela rose to the leadership of the antiapartheid struggle to become one of the 20th century’s most iconic world leaders. He began writing the book in prison in 1975, and it was published in 2004.Mandela was born in rural South African in 1918. As a child, he was destined to become a royal advisor, but the... Read Long Walk to Freedom Summary


Publication year 1971Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & AngerTags Heinemann African Writers, African Literature, Education, Education, African American Literature, Classic Fiction

In Maru (1971), author Bessie Head, also known for When Rain Clouds Gather (1968) and A Question of Power (1973), confronts deeply held prejudice toward the Masarwa people of Botswana. Considered sub-human by most citizens of Botswana, the Masarwa people pursue an untenable and desperate existence within Botswana society. Living off the land, the Masarwa wander from place to place in the bush, scavenging food and water in a subsistence lifestyle. The name “Masarwa” itself... Read Maru Summary


Publication year 1982Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Play: Drama, Race / Racism, African Literature

“Master Harold”…and the boys, a one-act play by South African playwright Athol Fugard, premiered on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater in 1982. The play, which is set in 1950, draws on Fugard’s own experience growing up during South Africa’s apartheid era. It explores a complex relationship between 17-year-old Hally, a white boy, and Sam and Willie, two Black men who are servants in Hally’s family’s tea room. The play was initially banned in South Africa... Read Master Harold and the Boys Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: FateTags Race / Racism, Education, Education, African American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

In writing Mother to Mother, Sindiwe Magona drew inspiration from a real event: the murder of a white American named Amy Biehl by young black men in 1990s South Africa. The crime caused shockwaves around the world, not least because Biehl herself had come to South Africa to combat apartheid—the system of segregation and discrimination that relegated black South Africans, as well as other people of color, to second-class citizenship.On the face of it, then... Read Mother to Mother Summary


Publication year 1973Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Teams, Society: ColonialismTags Politics / Government, Social Justice, Race / Racism, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 2009Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags History: African , Politics / Government, Social Justice, Race / Racism, African Literature, Biography, History: World, Religion / Spirituality

Originally published in 1999, No Future Without Forgiveness is the memoir of Desmond Mpilo Tutu. Tutu won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1984 for his efforts to end apartheid in South Africa. He served as Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Cape Town and later chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which President Mandela established to help address the atrocities of apartheid.Although Tutu’s memoir focuses on his work with the TRC between 1995... Read No Future Without Forgiveness Summary


Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Relationships: TeamsTags Military / War, Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Sports, African Literature

Publication year 1989Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Colonialism, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Fantasy, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

South African author Nadine Gordimer (1923-2014) published the short story “Once Upon a Time” in 1989 while South Africa was still under apartheid, an institutionalized system of racism that from 1948 until 1994 discriminated against all people who were not white. Gordimer was the daughter of Jewish immigrants. Though not an Afrikaner (a South African descended from 17th-century Dutch colonizers), Gordimer was white and therefore part of South Africa’s ruling minority. Gordimer wrote about characters... Read Once Upon a Time Summary


Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & InjusticeTags Race / Racism, Relationships, African Literature, Grief / Death, Education, Education, African American Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Classic Fiction

Nadine Gordimer’s “Six Feet of the Country” is one of the seven short stories in her collection of the same name (1956). Gordimer, who was born and lived in South Africa, often explored the country’s racial issues in the context of apartheid. She received numerous literary awards, including the 1991 Nobel Prize for Literature. This short story concerns the death of a native of Rhodesia (modern Zimbabwe). When the young man’s family wants to give... Read Six Feet of the Country Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Self Help, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Psychology, Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy

In The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, co-authors Douglas Abrams, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu share their discussion on the nature of joy and the methods to achieve it in the face of adversity. Originally published in 2016, this work falls within the genre of spiritual and self-help literature. The Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, and Archbishop Tutu, a leader in the fight against... Read The Book of Joy Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: CommunityTags Animals, Science / Nature, Biography

The Elephant Whisperer: My Life With the Herd in the African Wild (2009) is a memoir by Lawrence Anthony, detailing his experiences with rehabilitating a traumatized herd of elephants on his game reserve in South Africa. The book explores themes of bonding and communicating with animals, the inherent interconnectedness of nature, and the challenges of conservation efforts.Anthony was an internationally renowned conservationist and environmentalist. He was the co-owner and head of conservation at the Thula... Read The Elephant Whisperer Summary


Publication year 1950Genre Novel, FictionTags Heinemann African Writers, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Grass is Singing is a powerful novel that explores several poignant topics, including human relationships, power struggles, and the effects of racism. The novel is set in Southern Rhodesia (present-day South Africa) and explores the lives of its inhabitants during white rules in the county. The novel was Lessing’s debut novel and helped to propel her to the literary success. Her treatment of desire, drive, and need regarding individuals, communities and even nations is... Read The Grass is Singing Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionTags Humor, African American Literature, Magical Realism, History: World, Historical Fiction

South African novelist Zakes Mda published his satirical work The Heart of Redness in 2000. In the novel, Mda blends history, myth, and realist fiction to portray a South African village over a 150-year span. In 1856, a 15-year-old girl from kwaXhosa named Nongqawuse told her uncle, Mhlakaza, that she had encountered the spirits of two of her ancestors. These spirits told the young girl that if the amaXhosa killed all their cattle, destroyed their... Read The Heart Of Redness Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Novella, FictionThemes Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: AnimalsTags Philosophy, Animals, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Food

Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1991Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Identity: RaceTags Race / Racism, African Literature

Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Historical Fiction, African Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction

The Other Side of Truth is a young adult novel by South African writer Beverley Naidoo that was published in 2000. The work is set in both Nigeria and in London, and it takes place after the 1995 Nigerian execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a writer and activist who spoke out against Nigeria’s military government’s corruption. Sade is the novel’s protagonist. The story is written in the third person, and it follows the journey of Sade... Read The Other Side of Truth Summary


Publication year 1989Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: FriendshipTags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Power of One (1989) is a Bildungsroman written by Australian author Bryce Courtenay, largely based on the life and experiences of the author who grew up on a small farm in the Lebombo Mountains in South Africa. It was the only novel published by the author for an American market. He noted that “American publishers [. . .] are interested in books [set] in their own country first and foremost,” but his novel was... Read The Power of One Summary


Publication year 1963Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Race / Racism

Publication year 2021Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: ColonialismTags Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, History: African , Social Justice, Race / Racism, African Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Publication year 1985Genre Play, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Education, Education, African American Literature, Science / Nature, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction

The Road to Mecca is a play by South African playwright Athol Fugard. It was first performed in 1984, won a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award in 1988, and was adapted into a film in 1991. Based on the real-life story of Helen Martins, a South African woman whose home, “The Owl House,” is still open to the public, Fugard’s play explores themes of freedom versus oppression, trust, and the conflict between the self... Read The Road to Mecca Summary


Publication year 1993Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: MusicTags Historical Fiction, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: World, Drama / Tragedy

The Smell of Apples, the first novel by South African writer Mark Behr, was originally published in 1993 in Afrikaner, before being published in English translation in 1995 to international acclaim. It won numerous prestigious literary prizes, most notably the M-Net Literary Award for best South African novel; the Betty Trask Award for best first novel published in the British Commonwealth; and the Art Seidenbaum Award for best English-language first novel, presented by The Los... Read The Smell of Apples Summary


Publication year 1883Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags African American Literature, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1952Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Race / Racism, African Literature, Relationships

“The Train from Rhodesia” is a short story by Nadine Gordimer, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991. The story originally appeared in The Soft Voice of the Serpent, her first collection of stories, published in 1953 and used as the basis for this study guide.The story takes place in a train station in an unnamed African village. The station is surrounded by beggars and by vendors selling carved wooden animals. A stationmaster... Read The Train From Rhodesia Summary


Publication year 1991Genre Short Story, FictionTags Immigration / Refugee, Race / Racism, African Literature, Classic Fiction

Nadine Gordimer’s “The Ultimate Safari” is a short story about a family’s journey from their demolished home in war-torn Mozambique to a refugee camp in South Africa. The story is set in 1988 amid the backdrop of a civil war, which neighboring South Africa supported by the funding of rebel forces. Gordimer, a white South African, was deeply critical of her nation’s involvement, and she tells the story of a young, unnamed refugee girl as... Read The Ultimate Safari Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: MarriageTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: FamilyTags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction

Publication year 1980Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags African Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Historical Fiction

Waiting for the Barbarians is a 1980 novel written by John Maxwell Coetzee, a South African and Australian novelist who was winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize for Literature. Penguin chose the book for its Great Books of the 20th Century series, and the novel won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize for fiction. Waiting for the Barbarians was influenced by the 1904 poem of the same name written by... Read Waiting for the Barbarians Summary


Publication year 1968Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: MarriageTags African Literature, Heinemann African Writers

In the opening pages of Bessie Head’s novel When Rain Clouds Gather, Makhaya Maseko, an educated young man, is preparing to cross the border that separates South Africa from Botswana. Makhaya is disillusioned with South African society, which is premised on discrimination against black men such as him. He sets out at night, successfully evades border patrols, and arrives in Botswana. There, he registers with the authorities and meets a welcoming companion, an old man... Read When Rain Clouds Gather Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: GuiltTags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction

Zoo City is a 2010 fantasy/science fiction novel by Lauren Beukes; it won the 2011 Arthur C. Clarke Award. In an alternate version of Johannesburg, South Africa, people who have committed serious crimes find themselves attached to animal familiars that grant them magical abilities—and mark their criminality for all to see. First-person narrator Zinzi December is accompanied by a Sloth. She uses her shavi (magical power) to locate lost things. Zinzi’s narration alternates with textual... Read Zoo City Summary