Achmat Dangor joined Polity SA to chat about his new novel, Dikeledi, which was published in September by Pan Macmillan.

Click on the link above for more about the book!

Dangor is an award-winning poet and novelist whose titles include Kafka’s Curse (1997) and the 2004 Booker shortlisted title Bitter Fruit, which was recently rereleased in a new edition. Until recently Dangor was the Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. He lives and works in Johannesburg.

‘This is the story of a family who lived through apartheid and overcame it,’ he says. ‘Then, post 1991, ’92, when the supposed miracle was unfolding, they encounter all other kinds of challenges.

‘It’s the story of how the women in that family coped, not only with what apartheid imposed on them but also how they were brought up traditionally and how that also impacted on them. How these women liberated themselves, their families and hopefully their communities.’

Dangor says he doesn’t write for a specific audience, but he hopes young people will read his book.

‘For young people there will be resonances – about how young people cope with the heritages of the past but also with the challenges of the future – and with traditions.’

Watch the video:

Categories Fiction South Africa

Tags Achmat Dangor Dikeledi Pan Macmillan SA Polity Video YouTube