Overview

Edward Said described a public intellectual as someone who uses accessible language to address a designated public on matters of social and political significance. The essays in Public Intellectuals in South Africa apply this interpretive prism and activist principle to a South African context and tell the stories of well-known figures as well as some that have been mostly forgotten. They include Magema Fuze, John Dube, Aggrey Klaaste, Mewa Ramgobin and Koos Roets, alongside marginalised figures such as Elijah Makiwane, Mandisi Sindo, William Pretorius and Dr Thomas Duncan Greenlees. The essays capture the thoughts and opinions of these historical figures, who the contributors argue are public intellectuals who spoke out against the corruption of power, promoted a progressive politics that challenged the colonial project and its legacies, and encouraged a sustained dissent of the political status quo. Offering fascinating accounts of the life and work of these writers, critics and activists across a range of historical contexts and disciplines, from journalism and arts criticism to history and politics, it enriches the historical record of South African public intellectual life. This volume makes a significant contribution to ongoing debates about the value of research in the arts and humanities, and what constitutes public intellectualism in South Africa.

Full Product Details

9781776146895

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Chris Broodryk is chair of Drama at the School of the Arts, University of Pretoria, and a senior lecturer in Drama and Film Studies. Katlego Chale is an actor and playwright pursuing a PhD in Drama at the School of the Arts at the University of Pretoria. Lesley Cowling is Associate Professor of Journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg and an associate researcher at the Archive and Public Culture Research Initiative at the University of Cape Town. Luvuyo Mthimkhulu Dondolo is the director and head of the Centre for Transdisciplinary Studies at the University of Fort Hare. Rory du Plessis is a senior lecturer in Visual Studies at the School of the Arts, University of Pretoria. Carolyn Hamilton is a South African anthropologist and historian who is a specialist in the history and uses of archives. She is National Research Foundation of South Africa chair in archive and public culture at the University of Cape Town. Anna-Marie Jansen van Vuuren is a film critic and screenwriting lecturer in the Department of Visual Communication at Tshwane University of Technology. Pfunzo Sidogi is a lecturer in the Department of Fine and Studios Arts, Faculty of Arts and Design at the Tshwane University of Technology. Keyan Tomaselli is Distinguished Professor at the University of Johannesburg.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available