
Fools and Other Stories
Njabulo S. Ndebele(Author)
Picador Africa (Publisher)
Published on 1. September 2006
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-77010-030-5 (ISBN)
Description
The stories in Fools and other stories deal with the formative experiences of growing up in a Johannesburg township during the Apartheid years. Fools, the title story of the collection, is a tale of generations. Zamani, a disgraced middle-aged teacher and Zani, a young student activist, are inadvertently bound together by affection and hostility in an intense and unpredictable relationship. Finding each other means finding the common ground of their struggle. It also means re-examining their lives - and, notably, their relationships with women. The Test, The Prophetess, The Music of the Violin describe an act of courage and endurance; a close encounter with an awe-inspiring old woman; a choice which must be made between the narrow ambitions of middle-class parents and the challenge of the township streets. Uncle celebrates the gift of one generation to another: a gift that mingles music with other adventures of the spirit, recklessness with resourcefulness, and laughter with wisdom.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Johannesburg
South Africa
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan South Africa
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 130 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-77010-030-5 (9781770100305)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Njabulo Simakahle Ndebele grew up in the Western Native Township, Johannesburg, and later in Charterston Location, Nigel, which provides the setting for his stories. "Fools" and Other Stories won the Noma Award, Africa's highest literary award for the best book published in Africa in 1984. His highly influential essays on South Africa literature and culture were published in a collection Rediscovery of the Ordinary. He recently published a novel The Cry of Winnie Mandela to critical acclaim. Ndebele holds an M.A. from Cambridge and a Ph.D. from the University of Denver, and is a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town.