Mandla Langa, one of South Africa, and Africa’s most powerful imaginative writers, has been hailed for winning the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Langa won the Best Book award (African Region) for his novel, The lost colours of the chameleon
The lost colours of the chameleon (2008) is essentially about the vagaries of political power. The author formidably creates an island (Bangula) in the Indian Ocean where plenty of strife and bloodshed take place. As most African countries are well used to over the decades, it is the ordinary man who suffers most during this anomy.
Elinor Sisulu, who chaired the Judging panel for the Africa Region enthused about the novel: “(It) combines allegory and realism. Langa deconstructs the inner workings of a mythical African state laying bare the frailties of leaders too blinded by power to effectively confront the major challenges of their times”
The lost colours of the chameleon came out tops from a very impressive short list of books produced by excellent writers. These included Zoe Wicomb’s The one that got away, and Sindiwe Magona’s Beauty’s gift ( a moving work that confronts the ravages of aids)
Peter Moroe, literary critic, says that Mandla Langa has always led the way with quality works. “Langa is quite simply a world class writer, polished and elevated. He’s one of South Africa’s all time great black writers – like Es’kia Mphahlele, Lewis Nkosi, Njabulo Ndebele or Zakes Mda. Mandla Langa’s writing career, his pedigree, shows he’s always been sublime,”
In 1987 Mandla Langa published the brilliant work, Tenderness of blood. Then followed A rainbow on the paper sky (1989), The naked song and other stories (1996), The memory of stones (2000); and now the acclaimed, award winning The lost colours of the chameleon.
The Best First Book Award (Africa Region) went to Nigeria’s Uwem Akpan for his collection of short stories, titled Say you’re one of them.
- Paul Lothane
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