South African Literature

South African literature includes literary works written by South Africans living in South Africa or other countries. South Africa is inhabited by various ethnic and linguistic groups, and has very significant literature in many African languages, as well as in Afrikaans (a vernacular derived from Dutch) and English.

Although Afrikaans emerged as a distinctive language until the mid-18th century, Dutch remained the official language in government and was compulsory in schools. The pressure of nationalism finally led to the legal recognition of Afrikaans in 1925 and has completely replaced the Dutch. Soon, several authors writing in the their mother language appeared which led to the compilation of an African dictionary and many original literary works.

Below you'll find a list of book summaries from authors that influenced South African literature and left their mark in the writing world.

Alan Paton

Alan Stewart Paton was a South African writer and social reformer. Heeceived great critical and popular acclaim for his first novel Cry, The Beloved Country.

• Cry, the Beloved Country

J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was a South African writer and a professor at Oxford in Britain. A brilliant linguist and fantasy writer that created an entire world for his stories.

• Silmarillion
• The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Hobbit
• The Lord of the Rings
• The Return of the King
• The Two Towers