Lewis Nkosi’s (1936-2010) debut novel Mating Birds (1986) won a Macmillan Silver Pen Prize, but “Its theme of love, rape or seduction – the critics were uncertain which – across the colour line ensured it was banned in his homeland” (Herbstein, 2010). Narrated by a black freedom fighter who awaits trial for allegedly raping a white woman, the book explores the complex psychology of a man in conflict with white supremacism. The imprisoned protagonist is granted pen and paper to write back against the system that pronounces his execution: powerless to defend himself in a language that is not his own and in the face of an unjust trial, he tells his story as the only way to put the record straight. Written when the author …
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Citation: Dowson, Jane. "Mating Birds". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 January 2014 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35037, accessed 23 November 2024.]
