Books

DURING the heady 1980s a generation of activists in Cape Town played a pivotal role in creating alternative trade union, social and political structures. One activist, June Esau, recently published her autobiography reflecting on her personal history and her contribution to the struggle for social justice in...

In a recently published book STEVEN FRIEDMAN, who has written extensively on the political and social aspects of apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa, explores the racist underpinnings of the west’s responses to Israel’s war in Gaza. This is an extract from the book, Good Jew, Bad Jew....

UMR HURTER relates the inspiring journey of a talented children's book writer. He reveals her passion for writing, her personal growth as an author, and her unwavering commitment to captivating storytelling and inspiring readers TO attribute the phrases ‘never say never’ and ‘never too late’ to 55-year-old...

Reviewer YAHYA BIRT Walaa Quisay, Neo-Traditionalism in Islam in the West: Orthodoxy, Spirituality and Politics (Edinburgh: University Press, 2023), 296pp. ISBN 978-1399502771. Hardback, £90.000; eBook, open access (free). This is no ordinary book review. It was due to a last request from the late, great Dr Shabbir...

Literary critic, author and activist, Professor HEIN WILLEMSE, paid tribute at a 94th birthday celebration for poet-activist James Matthews on May 24 at Bertha House in Mowbray, Cape Town. THE next time you are around in Kewtown, Athlone , look out for the Kannablast Close Flats between...

GADIJA AHJUM concludes that the The Women's Khutbah Book is 'an important scholarly book...written in a reader-friendly format and addresses realities and transformations occurring not only globally, but also within our local Muslim communities'. Shaikh, S & Seedat, F (2023) The Women’s Khutbah Book: Contemporary Sermons on...

A Season of Abundance: RAMADAAN INSPIRATIONS. An anthology by Yacoob Manjoo. Published by the author. Cape Town (2023) 75pp. The writing voice will appeal to you because it is engaging and approachable, with a pleasant flow of appropriate language. It's a marvellously inspiring anthology of Ramadaan poetry...

SALIEM FAKIR reviews Crain Soudien’s book which he describes as ‘a valuable piece of historiography if you ever wanted to understand radical traditions outside of the dominance of the African National Congress legacy’. The Cape Radicals: Intellectual and political thought of the New Era Fellowship: 1930s-1960s by...

Commenting on the most recent book on the history of Islam at the Cape published locally, PROFESSOR ASLAM FATAAR calls for ‘respectful and constructive conversation on the various versions of stories and perspectives’. WE recently witnessed an increase in the publication of texts by community members on...

THE recent passing of Omaruddin ‘Don’ Mattera, a giant in the African and South African literary worlds, leaves us with a legacy we must celebrate. His death also leaves a gap that is almost impossible to fill, writes YUNUS OMAR. MANY fine tributes have been written in...