Description
Book SynopsisMahala's biography gives insight into the life and writing of Can Themba (1924–1967), an iconic figure of the South African literary world and Drum journalist who died in exile
Can Themba: The Intellectual Tsotsi, a Biography brings to life the iconic South African writer and journalist, Can Themba, (21 June 1924 – 8 September 1967) who died while exiled in Swaziland in 1967. Best known for his classic short story, ‘The Suit’, Themba has been somewhat of an enigma, with very little known about his personal life. This biography brings forth the voices of those who had personal interactions with him, shining the light on different aspects of his life including education, literature, journalism and political fraternities. It features interviews with prominent individuals including his former students, Abdul Bham, Pitika Ntuli, and Mbulelo Mzamane; journalistic mentees Juby Mayet and Joe Thloloe; as well as friends, colleagues and contemporaries Parks Mangena, Peter Magubane, Jurgen Schadeberg, Don Mattera, and Nadine Gordimer; in addition to artists and academics Mothobi Mutloatse, Muxe Nkondo and Njabulo S. Ndebele.
Also featured in this biographical text are veteran political figures such as Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Lindiwe Mabuza and Ahmed Kathrada. Themba’s intellectual acumen, scholarly aptitude and witticism are some of his most revered characteristics amongst those who had interactions with him either in person or through comprehensive reading of his works. Mahala is a master storyteller and deftly weaves together the threads of Themba's dynamic life.
In this edifying biography Mahala recreates the sparkle and pathos of Sophiatown of the 1950s and the Drum era. Can Themba’s successes and failures, as well as his triumphs and tribulations reverberate on the pages of this long-awaited biography.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Part I: Death and Birth of a Scribe
- Chapter 1 A Knock on the Door
- Chapter 2 The Poet Laureate of Fort Hare
- Chapter 3 The Teacher of Life and Letters
- Chapter 4 From Marabastad to Sophiatown and beyond
- Part II: Living Fast, Dying Young
- Chapter 5 The Drum Seduction
- Chapter 6 Occasions for Loving
- Chapter 7 Drumming Up a Storm
- Chapter 8 Destruction and Demise
- Chapter 9 The Road to Swaziland: A Kind of Suicide
- Part III: The ‘Intellectual Tsotsi’: The Identities, Politics and Intellectual Legacy of Can Themba
- Chapter 10 Black Englishman or Detribalised African? A Quest for Shared Identities
- Chapter 11 A Politico in a Poet
- Chapter 12 The People’s Intellectual
- Part IV: Dances with Texts: the Writings of Can Themba
- Chapter 13 No Ordinary Storyteller
- Chapter 14 Intertextuality and the Making of Mr Shakespeare
- Chapter 15 ‘The Suit’ For All Seasons
- Part V: The Immortality of Can Themba
- Chapter 16 Re-Membering the Fragments
- Postscript: The Three Burials of Can Themba
- Bibliography
- Index
