The collection showcases Es'kia Mphahlele's journey as a prominent South African writer, reflecting on his exile in the 1950s and his experiences across Africa, Europe, and the U.S. His storytelling captures the nuances of apartheid's tragedy and complexity. Through plays, novels, and essays, Mphahlele not only shares his own coming-of-age narrative but also highlights the importance of nurturing new African talent. The opening and closing essays provide insight into his motivations for returning to South Africa, contributing to its post-apartheid cultural landscape.
Eskia Mphahlele Books
Es'kia Mphahlele was a novelist, essayist, and teacher whose work offers penetrating social criticism of the conditions imposed upon black South Africans by apartheid. His autobiography stands as a South African classic, weaving a tale of maturation with incisive commentary on societal injustice. Mphahlele's outspoken opposition led to his exile, during which he held significant academic and cultural positions across Africa, Europe, and the United States. His critical writings explore themes of the African personality, nationalism, and the literary representation of Africa.
Encompassing many different visions of Africa, the stories in this comprehensive collection feature characters struggling to survive grinding poverty, tyrannical governments, cultural upheavals, and disintegrating relationships. Reflecting a continent with a tragic history, An African Quilt depicts a place where even everyday life is extraordinary, and the continent’s history changes what it means to be a woman, an employee, a couple, a passerby, and, of course, a citizen. Revealed through the backdrop of postcolonial Africa, the struggles within these stories resonate beyond their context and appeal to every reader’s sense of what it means to be human. With Stories by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nadine Gordimer (Winner of the Nobel Prize), Bessie Head, Doris Lessing (Winner of the Nobel Prize), Ngugi wa Thiong’o, and Others
Učiteľ Chirundu šťastne žije s Tirenje, svojou zákonitou ženou a s deťmi na vidieku. No zrazu urobí závratnú kariéru - stane sa ministrom. Odchádza do mesta je presvedčený, že k nemu, k členovi vlády, lepšie pristane elegantná žena, preto sa rozhodne žiť s reprezentatívnou Monde. Vedomý sivlastného postavenia a moci, poruší zákony a ožení sa s ňou...