Sean Fraser who has written several travel and guide books, has just published one which covers Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria and surrounds. I have not seen it yet so am looking forward to browsing through it.  I still think that Nechama Brodie’s book on Johannesburg : The Joburg Book published in 2008, is excellent. For more [...]

Ghandi’s philosphy of Satyagraha (non-violent non-cooperation) was born in South Africa and more specifically in what was then the Transvaal, in the first decade of the 20th Century.  Ghandi arrived in Johannebsurg in 1893 and stayed at various places during the 12 years he was in Johannesburg. For more on this see Eric Itzkin’s excellent book [...]

Yesterday Boekehuis hosted Mark Gevisser, Mbeki’s biographer, in conversation with Fiona Forde, Malema’s biographer. Mark engaged Fiona to expand on some of the issues raised in her biography of Malema: ‘An Inconvenient Youth’. An informed, informative, measured and fascinating interchange followed. Forde’s take is that it is not over till the fat man sings, (my label [...]

. Hugo and Cleary won the non-EU section of the music video category with their black-and-white video for Mathambo’s electronic cover version of Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’. Well worth watching see http://mg.co.za/article/2011-06-24-pieter-hugo-wins-young-director-award-at-cannes/

Remember there’s a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday 15th June. It starts at 8:22pm, is total from 9:21 pm to 11:02pm, and ends at 00:02am. It will be visible from all of Africa, although north-west Africa misses the start. You don’t need any special equipment to watch this. The next total lunar eclipse will be [...]

See  http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/blog/my_south_africa_by_jonathan_jansen.html#

Mark Gevisser wrote about South African identity in both the build up to the World Cup  Cup http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article439527.ece/I-want-to-imagine-the-SA-of-my-dreams  as well as after the final whistle had been blown:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/10/south-africa-unites-over-football . See his latest take  on what it means to be a South African in late 2010:  http://www.arttimes.co.za/news_read.php?news_id=2683 

I posted a blog on Peter Harris  In a Different Time’  :  http://lizatlancaster.co.za/blog/a-south-african-page-turner-and-its-all-true and now his new book about the conspiracy to destabilize the 1994 elections,  is to be released shortly.    The book will be launched at Exclusive Books Hyde Park at 6 for 6.30 on Tuesday 9th Nov.   RSVP to hydepark@exclisvebooks.co.za or 011 325-4298 

Boekehuis holds its Saturday morning Voices: A discussion with M&G investigative journalist, Adriaan Basson  & political journalist and writer, William Gumede  on  Basson’s book Finish & klaar  Selebi’s fall from Interpol to the underworld.   Boekehuis’ outline of the issues:  ‘From top cop to corrupt crook in six years – Jackie Selebi’s fall from grace came fast.  [...]

Interesting article on the arguments around the ANC’s drive to make their view of history the official version http://constitutionallyspeaking.co.za/the-past-is-unpredictable/