Novelist, born in Cape Town, SW South Africa. He became one of the best-known literary opponents of apartheid. He grew up in the community known as Coloured, and from 1956 until 1966 (when he went into exile) was charged with treason, detained several times, placed under house arrest, and banned under the Suppression of Communism Act. His first novel, A Walk in the Night (1962), like his subsequent works, combined Realist depictions of the iniquities of apartheid with a Romantic faith in the heroism and humanity of his characters. Later works include The Stone Country (1967) and Time of the Butcherbird (1979).
Alex La Guma (20 February 1925–11 October 1985) was a South African novelist, leader of the South African Coloured People's Organisation (SACPO) and a defendant in the Treason Trial, whose works helped characterise the movement against the apartheid era in South Africa. La Guma's vivid style, distinctive dialogue, and realistic, sympathetic portrayal of oppressed groups have made him one of the most notable South African writers of the 20th century. Although La Guma was an inspiration of and inspired by the growing resistance to apartheid, notably the Black Consciousness Movement, his connection to these groups was indirect, as he left South Africa in 1966 and spent the rest of his life in exile.
La Guma's works include the following:
The Lemon Orchard A Walk in the Night (1962) And a Threefold Cord (1964) The Stone-Country (1965) In the Fog of the Season's End (1972) Time of the Butcherbird (1979)
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