Many thanks are due to everyone involved in creating this book. Firstly, the Equal Education Gauteng reading group of 2014 – Freddie Mathekga, Kholwane Simelane, Tracey Malawana, Charity Sebopela, Tshepo Motsepe, Lerato Mohlabi, Doron Isaacs, Adam Bradlow, Lerato Morotolo, Sfiso Molo, Daniel Sher, Nombulelo Nyathela and Joshua Maserow – gave the editors a glimpse of how fictional works could be used to inspire political and historical debate and education.
The potential value of this project was re-affirmed by equalisers and facilitators who attended EE’s 2014 end of year camp. Equalisers read and debated some of the selections that found their way into the book for many hours, often running beyond the allocated time. It was this passion for textual analysis and discussion that vindicated the decision to create this book.
For advice on the title – Amagama Enkululeko! Words for Freedom: Writing Life Under Apartheid – thanks go to Oscar Masinyana, Yoliswa Dwane, Tracey Malawana, Raphael Chaskalson, Dumisa Mbuwa, Doron Isaacs and Alison Sher.
Vital suggestions on content were provided by Kylie Thomas, Meg Samuelson, Brad Brockman, Hedley Twidle and Kelwyn Sole.
Lamisa Naushin, Maryke Sher-Lun and Joey Hasson assisted with digitising and transcribing some of the literature from its source texts. Daniel Linde and Chandre Stuurman, of the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC), generously assisted with the legal side of the project. Whitney Cele, Gabriel Nahmias, Bhavya Dore, Doron Isaacs, Lyndal Pottier, Kim Tichmann, Kyle Bailey and Carla Goldstein and Neroli Price spent time fastidiously proof reading drafts. Arthur Attwell, of Electric Book Works, lent a steadying hand and sensitive vision to the design and layout of the book with his technical know-how and insider knowledge of the publishing industry.
Dorothy Dyer made useful criticisms, adding nuance and relevance to the questions accompanying the texts.
Patricia Rademeyer, Thabiso Mahlape and Alexander Matthews provided key information, publishing tips and connections.
We are very proud to have Zakes Mda and Omar Badsha lend their inimitable talents to this book. They were massively generous in writing a foreword and contributing the cover photograph, respectively.
The editors, Joshua Maserow and Daniel Sher devoted much time, energy, thought and passion to researching, writing, discussing, selecting, and editing this book into existence.
Leanne Jansen-Thomas
Head of Policy & Training at Equal Education