Once upon a time in Soweto: South African literature, the writers, their works, and censorship

Abstract

This PhD in English: Prose Writing is in two parts. The first part is a full-length novel, entitled Once Upon a Time in Soweto. The main focus of the narrative is the Students Uprisings. These riots took place in Soweto on June 16th,1976, when students attempted to protest the Department of Education, imposing Afrikaans as a medium of teaching in the black schools. The second part is an academic thesis, entitled South African Literature, The Writers, Their Works, and Censorship. It explores the lives and works of South African writers who wrote during the turbulent years of apartheid, notably those whose lives were significantly affected by censorship regulations imposed under the apartheid laws. This part attempts to make sense of a reality that is perceived to be such a horrifying phase for South African Writers. On the other hand, it demonstrates the story of the different authors and writers in their own words who suffered during this period and, also specifies how censorship contributed to the liminality of South African literature.