Sindiwe Magona's Books

I Write the Yawning Void

Selected essays of Sindiwe Magona

By: Sindiwe Magona

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I Write the Yawning Void

Selected essays of Sindiwe Magona

By: Sindiwe Magona

Sindiwe Magona is a celebrated South African writer, storyteller and motivational speaker known mainly for her autobiographies, biographies, novels, short stories, poetry and children’s books. I Write the Yawning Void is a collection of essays that highlight her engagement with writing that span the transition from apartheid to the post-apartheid period and addresses themes such as HIV/Aids, language and culture, home and belonging. Magona worked as a teacher, domestic worker and spent two decades working for the United Nations in the United States of America. She has received many awards for her fierce and fearless writing ‘truth to power’. Her written work is often informed by her lived experience of being a black woman resisting subjugation and poverty. These essays bring to life many facets of Magona’s personal history as well as her deepest convictions, her love for her country and despair at the problems that continue to plague it, and her belief in her ability to activate change. They demonstrate Magona’s engaging storytelling and mastery of the essay form which serve as meaningful supplements to her fictional works, while simultaneously offering direct and insightful responses to the conditions that inspired them. Through her essays Magona offers a reimagining of a broken society and the role literature can play in casting new light on old wounds.

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Page Count

265

Publisher

NYU Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1776148215

ISBN 13

9781776148219

Push Push

By: Sindiwe Magona

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Push Push

By: Sindiwe Magona

A powerful collection of stories by the acclaimed author of Mother to Mother This collection of Sindiwe Magona's short fiction, following the publication to wide acclaim of her novel Mother to Mother, ranges in location from rural Transkei, her homeland, and the black township of Guguletu, where she struggled to raise her children, to New York, where she immigrated. With vivid and perceptive prose, Magona creates memorable characters, both hilarious and tragic, who bring to life the rich and varied backgrounds and cultures of South Africa.

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Page Count

176

Publisher

Beacon Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0807009679

ISBN 13

9780807009673

Beauty's Gift

A Novel

By: Sindiwe Magona

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Beauty's Gift

A Novel

By: Sindiwe Magona

The Five Firm Friends – Edith, Cordelia, Amanda, Doris and Beauty – are five sassy career women who confront life headon. But when Beauty suddenly becomes ill and, after six short weeks, passes away, their world is thrown into confusion. On her deathbed Beauty begs Amanda to promise her one thing – that she and the rest of the FFF will not waste their lives as she has done. All because of an unfaithful husband ... ‘Ukhule,’ she begs of Amanda. May you live a long life, and may you become old. Beauty’s Gift is a moving tale of how four women decide to change their own fate as well as the lives of those closest to them. This is Sindiwe Magona at her very best – writing about social issues, and not keeping quiet. Speak up, she says to women in Africa. Stand up, and take control of your own lives

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Page Count

291

Publisher

Pan Macmillan South africa

Published Date

ISBN 10

1770106243

ISBN 13

9781770106246

When the Village Sleeps

A Novel

By: Sindiwe Magona

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When the Village Sleeps

A Novel

By: Sindiwe Magona

‘All the way to school, and all day long, the same thought kept turning and turning in Busi’s mind. He will not forget my birthday. It is also his. No way could he forget his own birthday. Surely he remembers he shares it with me, his beloved daughter. We spoke about it during our weekly "visits", as he calls our scheduled Sunday afternoon telephone talks. And today is not any old ordinary birthday, either. THIRTEEN! I am a teenager at last. Certified, verified, glorified. Should I call him? No, it is a special day for me: he must call first! Thina sobabini? We two? We jive! Except, that whole long day, no call came from her father.’ When the Village Sleeps is a visionary novel about what the loss of identity and dignity do to a people afflicted by decades of brokenness. Told through the lives and spirits of four generations of amaTolo women, including The Old, who speak wisdom with ever-increasing urgency, it moves between the bustling township setting of Kwanele and the different rhythms of rural village life. It recalls the sweeping sagas of the great A.C. Jordan and the Dhlomo brothers and invokes the poetry of S.E.K. Mqhayi, while boldly exploring urgent and contemporary issues. An ode to the complex strengths of South African women, When the Village Sleeps is also a powerful call to respect the earth that nurtures human life, and to live in self-sufficiency and harmony with the environment and each other.

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Page Count

270

Publisher

Pan Macmillan South africa

Published Date

ISBN 10

1770106308

ISBN 13

9781770106307

When the Village Sleeps

A Novel

By: Sindiwe Magona

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When the Village Sleeps

A Novel

By: Sindiwe Magona

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270

Publisher

Pan Macmillan South africa

Published Date

ISBN 10

1770106308

ISBN 13

9781770106307

Please, Take Photographs

By: Sindiwe Magona

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Please, Take Photographs

By: Sindiwe Magona

Sindiwe Magona's poems conspire with her. Even years after being written, they still seem warm from her lips, and it is this residue of her telling them that draws you into their confidence. From the languid innocence of the poems about her village, to her shattering images of Africa at war, Magona leads you headlong into her fireside circle where archetypes flicker like shadows on a face that has seen, and been. Please, Take Photographs is defiant and tender, horrific and homely, at once irreverent, outspoken and beautiful.

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Page Count

418

Publisher

African Books Collective

Published Date

ISBN 10

0980272955

ISBN 13

9780980272956

Mother to Mother

By: Sindiwe Magona

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Mother to Mother

By: Sindiwe Magona

A searing novel, told in letter form, that explores the South African legacy of apartheid through the lens of a woman whose Black son has just murdered a white woman Mother to Mother is a novel with depth, at once an emotional plea for compassion and understanding, and a sharp look at the impacts of colonialism and apartheid on South African families. Inspired by the true story of Fulbright scholar Amy Biehl's murder, the book takes the form of a letter to the victim’s mother. The murderer’s mother, Mandisa, speaks of a life marked by oppression and injustice. Through her writing, Mandisa reveals a colonized society that not only allowed but perpetuated violence against women and impoverished Black South Africans under the reign of apartheid. This book is not an apology for the murder but rather something more. It seeks to connect, through empathy and storytelling, one pained mother with another who is grief-stricken and in mourning. A beautifully written exploration of the society that bred such violence, Mother to Mother will resonate with readers interested in understanding and ending racial injustice, as well as the lasting colonial foundations of oppression.

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Page Count

226

Publisher

Beacon Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0807008575

ISBN 13

9780807008577

I Write the Yawning Void

Selected Essays of Sindiwe Magona

By: Sindiwe Magona

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I Write the Yawning Void

Selected Essays of Sindiwe Magona

By: Sindiwe Magona

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Page Count

240

Publisher

NYU Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1776148185

ISBN 13

9781776148189

Please, Take Photographs

By: Sindiwe Magona

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Please, Take Photographs

By: Sindiwe Magona

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Page Count

418

Publisher

African Books Collective

Published Date

ISBN 10

0980272955

ISBN 13

9780980272956

From Robben Island to Bishopscourt

The Biography of Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane

By: Sindiwe Magona

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From Robben Island to Bishopscourt

The Biography of Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane

By: Sindiwe Magona

This is the story of Archbishop Ndungane, the man who succeeded Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu to Bishop's Court, but he had preceded Nelson Mandela to Robben Island and there helped build the cell that would later house Madiba. In these times when role models are scarce and leaders are often found lacking in principles, wanting in morals and exhibiting greed and self aggrandizement rather than acceptable or even rudimentary standards, Ndungane's humility and mission of compassion and service is in itself cause for joyous celebration, his humble beginnings, unwavering faith, even when sorely tested, his uncommon passion for all life, a beacon to many, especially those who find themselves on the receiving end of racism, bigotry, and discrimination. His ministry will be remembered for his championing of the poorest of the poor, the ostracized and the despised, the neglected, dispirited and out and out rejected.

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Page Count

300

Publisher

New Africa Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0864867387

ISBN 13

9780864867384

Mother to Mother

By: Sindiwe Magona

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Mother to Mother

By: Sindiwe Magona

In August 1993, Fulbright scholar Amy Biehl was killed by a group of black youths. Mother to Mother was provoked by that tradgedy. The killer's mother addresses the mother of the victim and tries to gain an understanding of her son.

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Page Count

220

Publisher

New Africa Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0864864337

ISBN 13

9780864864338

Mud Chic

Lifestyle and Inspiration from the Xhosa People of the Old Transkei

By: Craig Fraser,Sindiwe Magona

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Mud Chic

Lifestyle and Inspiration from the Xhosa People of the Old Transkei

By: Craig Fraser,Sindiwe Magona

In Xhosa culture the headman and elders of a tribe hold the key to all knowledge. In this visual journey to the traditional dwellings and homesteads of the old transkei, the photographer has elevated these rural abodes to a similar status. For the design, layout and materials used in these humble homes reveal much more than mere structure. They reveal that dire poverty does little to dampen the irrepressible human impulse to adorn and beautify. Here the realities of daily life are manifest in no running water (some journey five times a day to collect water), no electricity and scant employment and yet using little more than materials found in nature or sourced from the surrounding environment, the personality of each homeowner is expressed in a rich, elaborate vocabulary of symbols, geometric patterns, colour and decorative detail that is uniquely individual to each. Collectively these homes reveal the nature of a society that lives according to the deep-seated values of a fast-vanishing way of life. Here life is lived in tune with nature and in cognisance of community. Here your worth - and your lifestyle - is measured by your number of cattle.

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Publisher

Quivertree Publications

Published Date

ISBN 10

0620353929

ISBN 13

9780620353922

Clicking with Xhosa

A Xhosa Phrasebook

By: Beverley Kirsch,Silvia Skorge,Sindiwe Magona

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Clicking with Xhosa

A Xhosa Phrasebook

By: Beverley Kirsch,Silvia Skorge,Sindiwe Magona

This phrase-book introduces the reader to the culture and history of the Xhosa people, presenting learning within a cultural context. The pronunciation guide is followed by a section entitled Practical Topics with Cultural Insights.

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Page Count

218

Publisher

David Philip Publishers

Published Date

ISBN 10

0864863772

ISBN 13

9780864863775

Book's by Sindiwe Magona

I Write the Yawning Void

I Write the Yawning Void

Push Push

Push Push

Beauty's Gift

Beauty's Gift

When the Village Sleeps

When the Village Sleeps

When the Village Sleeps

When the Village Sleeps

Please, Take Photographs

Please, Take Photographs

Mother to Mother

Mother to Mother

I Write the Yawning Void

I Write the Yawning Void

Please, Take Photographs

Please, Take Photographs

From Robben Island to Bishopscourt

From Robben Island to Bishopscourt

Mother to Mother

Mother to Mother

Mud Chic

Mud Chic

Clicking with Xhosa

Clicking with Xhosa

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