"This book explores the power of print and the politics of the book in South Africa from a range of disciplinary perspectives—historical, bibliographic, literary-critical, sociological, and cultural studies. The essays collected here, by leading international scholars, address a range of topics as ... varied as: the role of print cultures in contests over the nature of the colonial public sphere in the nineteenth century; orthography; iimbongi, orature and the canon; book- collecting and libraries; print and transnationalism; Indian Ocean cosmopolitanisms; books in war; how the fates of South African texts, locally and globally, have been affected by their material instantiations; photocomics and other ephemera; censorship, during and after apartheid; books about art and books as art; local academic publishing; and the challenge of ‘book history’ for literary and cultural criticism in contemporary South Africa." (Publisher description) more

"Based on Mda's experience in Southern Africa, the book shows how drama and theatre can be used effectively in social development. Mda argues, that communication should be democratized, that it should increase participation and promote equity and self-reliance. If theatre is to play a role in the de ... velopment concerns faced by communities, a carefully thought-out method of combining intervention and participation is needed to provide a genuine two-way communication to revitalize cultural expression." (Mothers & Children, 2/1994, page 8) more