The novel’s fixation on the youth comes at a time when the youth of South Africa are calling for change, in our education system and in our government. The author himself said, “The youth on this continent can be a recipe for renaissance, or disaster.” When asked about the inspiration for this novel, Mr. Dangor told us of an experience he had as a young child, witnessing the forced removal of his neighbours under the apartheid housing laws. His neighbour’s daughter, whose name was Dikeledi, yelled at the policemen in anger, vowing to hurt them one day. The rest of the novel is mostly fiction but broadly based upon Mr. Dangor’s history, growing up in a mixed family. The author stated he had no difficulty writing about the cultural difference between him and his characters, but he did struggle with the gender difference between him and his female characters.
Image: Richardo Teixeira
