Zoe Wicomb, Playing in the Light

Natalie Ilsley (University of Manchester)

Ed. by Helen Rachel Cousins, Newman University
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 7.2.3.03: South Africa and other Southern Writing and Culture.
Vol. editors: Helen Rachel Cousins (Newman University), David Firth (University of Manchester)

Dates

First circulation or publication 2006

Places

South Africa (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

Navigating the injustices of apartheid as impositions of political ideology is a central concern for writers at the forefront of the South African literary canon. For Zoë Wicomb, this task also involves capturing the complexities of racially stratified structures as daily, practical barriers to relationships and ambitions. In a number of Wicomb’s works, the everyday interactions of her characters are informed by a critique of social, cultural and national distinctions – a project described by Wicomb as “the recovery of minor, neglected or disparaged peoples and events” (Wicomb, 2013). Her earlier works (You Can’t Get Lost in Capetown (1987) and David’s Story (2001)) provide …

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2021 words

Citation: Ilsley, Natalie. "Playing in the Light". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 02 April 2019 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=24869, accessed 16 April 2024.]

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