Soweto Inside Out: Stories About Africa's Famous Township

by Adam Roberts (Editor ), Joe Thloloe (Editor ), Tim Butcher (Contributor)

This is a title about Soweto from inside and out. It is an effort to mark a century since the first forced removals of black Africans from central Johannesburg to the banks of the Klipspruit River. It is also in recognition of the limited books available on a world-famous city. Soweto's huge growth came in the post-war decades. One famous resident Walter Sisulu believed that the country's modern history is impossible to separate from that of its most famous township. 'The history of South Africa cannot be understood outside the history of Soweto the development of the township, and the trials and tribulations of its people are a microcosm of the history of this country.' The township became a focus of world attention in 1976 during bloody repression of student protests, and again during the violence of the Eighties.

Genres: Nonfiction, Africa

237 pages, Paperback

First published December 28, 2005

About the author

Adam Roberts spent six years in India as the Economist's South East Asia correspondent based in Delhi. Previously the Southern Africa correspondent in Johannesburg and the News Editor of Economist.com, he is now the European business and finance correspondent in Paris. He is the author of the Economist's special report on India and of The Wonga Coup (PublicAffairs 2006).

Reviews

[Pavithra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories in and about people within the township. Some of the stories were absolutely remarkable, but I wish that the collection included a more varied array of people. Most of the authors were journalists, editors, camera-men...It would have been interesting to have more points of view.

[AeRi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories of individuals and how the largest township in South Africa, Soweto, has affected them.

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collection of articles and essays by various authors and journalists who have either lived in or traveled to Soweto. A little dated at this point, and it also might be somewhat confusing for someone not familiar with South African history.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I visited Soweto in 2009, the tourist route, the museums on the struggle and Mandela house. But this collection of self contained short stories took me way beyond that facade to truly experience this quarter. Both mythical and terrifying. Stories of hatred and war coupled with stories of hope and resilience. Anectdotal childhood memories intertwined with observations from journalists from all walks of life about sports, politics, religion as well as every day life. So many textual links to other striking protagonists of South Africa's past, The Bang Bang club, Limpopo, Walter Sisulu, Mandela and Winnie, Pretoria made this reading a kind of coming home experience to a place that defined the struggle of my student days for freedom and racial equality. 2004 however is now 11 years ago and I wonder how these reflections still hold true in today's South Africa. Constantly evolving, its pulse beating in our lives, it's a country we cannot afford not to reckon with