THROBBING SA BLACK LITERATURE

  

“A miniature steaming marsh of a literary-critical work celebrating SA Black writing over the years. There is a lot to celebrate about the pleasing essayistic saunter that pervades many of the writings here. A nonpareil introduction to our literature..” 

Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga has since written the following review of this work:

The stunning huge literary contribution among black writers in South Africa is immensely impressive. Today’s young generation of black writers are completely determined to vigorously inherit the precious habit of writing and reading.  Their vast literary works are keenly flourishing, as they follow in the footsteps of earlier catalysts and pioneers of black literature.

The African ancestors of black literature although many are no longer with us, but they have left behind a tremendous treasure of writing for black posterity, and in many thrilling instances their names are constantly mentioned in the world of books.  The zest and energy that black writers have today is gargantuan and appealing.  Witnessing by the way a proliferation of books are produced one is convinced that black writers, in particular women are earnestly determined to make a colossal impact in literature.  The concept that women’s role is in the kitchen is totally wrong and misleading in our modern times. Women today resist this baseless and unfounded concept and eagerly they do not accept ignorance to pulverize them. 

With this new literary offering, Christine Mautjana has once again produced a fine literary book (Throbbing SA Black Literature).  Her brilliant creativity has once more proved that she’s really a literary enthusiast, and she is able to grow as a black woman writer.  Judging by her introduction to the book she honestly savours the fact of being a female writer and shares her relish of being one of the classes of black female writers.  Moreover, on page 20 she strongly emphasises the pulchritude of African women and the burden of creative writing.

Honestly her opinion concerning feminism can easily open fierce gender debates, but her views are innocent and unwaveringly she defended Nadine Gordimer the first African (South African) to win the Nobel Award for Literature against some of her attackers. Mautjana says in her book “As women there is also this impediment of feminism.  Women these days are expected to be beating the drum of women’s rights and all that goes with it; but unfortunately this can be counter-productive.  Feminism is a complex series of ideas that can be confusing.  Let us not confuse this with a fringe male minority doing terrible things to women (e.g. rape).  What do women want?  True lasting love, or just exploiting men?” Actually Christine Mautjana’s gender debate is appropriate in the new democratic South Africa, unlike during apartheid era when black female writers were denied rights and eventually discriminated, e.g. Bessie Head was one of the victims.

This book is gripping and absolutely whets the appetite for going through it again and again. It is an anthology which contains profound enchanting essays, and reviews from different writers.  Imperatively the book is a panoply of literary appreciation which focuses on the growth of black literature in South Africa.   Simultaneously the book celebrates African literary critics, asserting clearly that without critics African literature will not attain any real world literary recognition.

The literary contributions of the following writers are essentially introduced in this work:  Es’”kiaMphahlele, ZakesMda, O.Bolaji, Bessie Head, Richard Rive, GomolemoMokae, Pule Lechesa, SiphiwoMahala, Ishmael Mzwandile Soqaga, Leseli Mokhele, Futhi Ntshingila, Job Mzamo, George  Rampai, Charmaine Kolwane and Teboho Mohanoe.