Women Writing Africa: The Southern Region: Volume 1
A landmark in scholarship and culture, this volume uncovers the stunning literary legacy of African women, heretofore all but invisible.\ Beginning with a Sesotho women’s lament song from 1842, this volume brings together poetry, songs, newspaper columns, political petitions, personal letters, and prison diaries, along with little-known works by writers such as Bessie Head, Doris Lessing, Yvonne Vera, Zoë Wicomb, and Nadine Gordimer. Each of the 120 texts in the volume is accompanied by a...
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An essential text for libraries—the definitive collection of women's literatures from southern Africa.Library JournalThis rich resource for scholars and general readers alike is the product of a decade of research by the Women Writing Africa Project. The project, funded by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations, seeks to bring African women's literary voices to the public through four volumes of texts arranged by region. The first volume in this distinctive series presents 120 southern African texts that are rich, evocative, and shaped by endless complexities. The settler colonies, such as Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, offer the largest body of research materials to be mined. Botswana's lack of colonialism meant that literacy came at a later date than in other countries, so texts are available only from the mid-1920s. Lesotho has older texts, however, owing to the presence of a Christian mission. Spanning two centuries (the 19th and the 20th) and featuring such writers as Tsitsi Dangarembga, Nadine Gordimer, Lauretta Ngcobo, Doris Lessing, and Winnie Mandela, the anthology includes texts that range from songs, poems, fiction, praise poems, and folktales to letters, journals, historical documents, journalism pieces, and oral testimonies. The volume's editors, all South African scholars, have also included a journal by a Boer woman written during the Anglo-Boer War, a testimony before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and songs of female initiation into adulthood. These selections, most of which have never before been assembled or published, often call into question such important matters as borders, language, vocabulary, translation, and colonialism. The lengthy introduction adequately explicates the historical as well as textual meaning, and each text's headnote provides context and useful details about the date of its origin, location, and language. Essential for all academic libraries and highly recommended for larger public libraries.-Neal Wyatt, Chesterfield Cty. P.L., VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
A Note on the Women Writing Africa ProjectPrefaceIntroduction1Nineteenth CenturySong of the Afflicted85Testimony86Letters and Land Submission91God's Peace and Blessing96Account of Cape Town98A Mother Praises Her Baby105Unanana-bosele106Affidavit109What the Maidens Do with Rooi Klip111Letter to Miss Mackenzie113The Story of Ngangezwe and Mnyamana115The War in Zululand120Two Lions Who Changed Themselves into People and Married Two Herero Girls124Leaving the Farm125Portrait of Louisa128Penelopa Lienguane131Testimony of a School Girl1341900 to 1919Journal of the War139Moliege's Vengeance144Ominous Weather147Court Record152Women's Petition: Domestic Unhappiness155Letter from Karibib157Petition of the Native and Coloured Women of the Province of the Orange Free State158Africa: My Native Land161A "Little Woman's" Advice to the Public162Baster Affidavit1651920s to 1950sAddress to the Resident Commissioner171Going to School173Listen, Compatriots!176Letter to the High Commissioner180Inheritance: Two Letters182Speech to the Bangwaketse187Bantu Home Life189Social Conditions Among Bantu Women and Girls195The Story of Nosente200UMandisa205Nation Is Going to Ruination209Flight of the Royal Household212Letter from Keetmanshoop219Meeting of Herero Women221The Case of the Foolish Minister225Though I Am Black, I Am Comely229Song of King Iipumbu231Women's Charter236Presidential Address to the African National Congress Women's League, Transvaal240Two Songs245African Women Do Not Want Passes246The Widows of the Reserves248It's Gotta Be Cash for a Cookie252Aunt, Stretch out the Blanket2541960s and 1970sThe Girl Aga-abes259Diary of a Detainee263Past and Present268Bus Journey to Tsolo271Three Court Statements283The Widow and the Baboons285Ballad of Nomagundwane287For "Napoleon Bonaparte," Jenny, and Kate290What of the Future?303I Drift in the Wind306I am a Wailing Fool308Murmurs in the Kutum309Tobacco, Sugar Alcohol, and Coffee: These Things Have Turned Us into Slaves315A Man Hides Food from His Family316Fall Tomorrow333The Old People Give You Life335Emergency Call from the Women of Namibia337Women Are Wealth339Poem for My Mother343Detention Alone Is a Trial in Itself344The Basking Lizard346Working on the Mail3481980sThe Rending of the Veil357The Haunting Melancholy of Klipvoordam363Return Journey372Arrested for Being Women375Crossroads377Kandishiwo - I Don't Know380The Woman385Citizenship: An Open Letter to the Attorney-General386I, the Unemployed390The Letter392Our Sharpeville397Our Government Is a Glowing Ember398For Willy Nyathele400Jesus Is Indian402Children of Namibia411Praise to Our Mothers413T.M.T. [actual symbol not reproducible] T.B.M.G.4151990s and 2000sAnother Story419War from Within430Krotoa's Story433Stella438Giraffe Song442Nhamiwa's Magic Stick444"Lend Me a Dress": Testimonies on Education446A Broken Family448Two Dream-Miracle Stories453Praise to Mbuya Nehanda455A Noble Woman of Africa457Swazi Wedding Songs461Izisho Zokusebenza - Work Songs463April 27: The First Time467Before the Beginning470The Price of Freedom471Ngonya's Bride-Price476Testimony: Truth and Reconciliation Commission479We Will Be Leasing for Ourselves484Writing near the Bone488African Wisdom491War Memoir494The Birth of This Country's Language500Bojale - Setswana Initiation Songs506Intonjane - Xhosa Initiation Songs507Mutondo - Nyemba Initiation Songs510Setswana Wedding Songs513Good as Dead515Caring for the Dying520Generations522Contributors525Permissions Acknowledgments and Sources537Authors Listed by Country549Index551
\ Library JournalThis rich resource for scholars and general readers alike is the product of a decade of research by the Women Writing Africa Project. The project, funded by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations, seeks to bring African women's literary voices to the public through four volumes of texts arranged by region. The first volume in this distinctive series presents 120 southern African texts that are rich, evocative, and shaped by endless complexities. The settler colonies, such as Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, offer the largest body of research materials to be mined. Botswana's lack of colonialism meant that literacy came at a later date than in other countries, so texts are available only from the mid-1920s. Lesotho has older texts, however, owing to the presence of a Christian mission. Spanning two centuries (the 19th and the 20th) and featuring such writers as Tsitsi Dangarembga, Nadine Gordimer, Lauretta Ngcobo, Doris Lessing, and Winnie Mandela, the anthology includes texts that range from songs, poems, fiction, praise poems, and folktales to letters, journals, historical documents, journalism pieces, and oral testimonies. The volume's editors, all South African scholars, have also included a journal by a Boer woman written during the Anglo-Boer War, a testimony before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and songs of female initiation into adulthood. These selections, most of which have never before been assembled or published, often call into question such important matters as borders, language, vocabulary, translation, and colonialism. The lengthy introduction adequately explicates the historical as well as textual meaning, and each text's headnote provides context and useful details about the date of its origin, location, and language. Essential for all academic libraries and highly recommended for larger public libraries.-Neal Wyatt, Chesterfield Cty. P.L., VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.\ \
