The first free elections in South Africa's history were held in 1994. Within a year legislation was drafted to create a Truth and Reconcilliation Commission to establish a picture of the gross human rights violations committed between 1960 and 1993. It was to seek the truth and make it known to the public and to prevent these brutal events ever happening again. From 1996 and over the following two years South Africans were exposed almost daily to revelations about their traumatic past. Antije Krog's full account of the Commission's work using the testimonies of the oppressed and oppressors alike is a harrowing and haunting book in which the voices of ordinary people shape the course of history.WINNER OF SOUTH AFRICA'S SUNDAY TIMES ALAN PATON AWARD

Country of My Skull

Antjie Krog

History

Random House]

Country of my skull

Physical description; viii, 286 pages ; 24 cm. Subjects; Krog, Antjie. South Africa. Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

COUNTRY OF MY SKULL

Biographies & Memoirs

Professionals & Academics

Times Books

Ander Tongval

Tafelberg Publishers Ltd

Ever since Nelson Mandela dramatically walked out of prison in 1990 after twenty-seven years behind bars, South Africa has been undergoing a radical transformation. In one of the most miraculous events of the century, the oppressive system of apartheid was dismantled. Repressive laws mandating separation of the races were thrown out. The country, which had been carved into a crazy quilt that reserved the most prosperous areas for whites and the most desolate and backward for blacks, was reunited. The dreaded and dangerous security force, which for years had systematically tortured, spied upon, and harassed people of color and their white supporters, was dismantled. But how could this country--one of spectacular beauty and promise--come to terms with its ugly past? How could its people, whom the oppressive white government had pitted against one another, live side by side as friends and neighbors? To begin the healing process, Nelson Mandela created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, headed by the renowned cleric Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Established in 1995, the commission faced the awesome task of hearing the testimony of the victims of apartheid as well as the oppressors. Amnesty was granted to those who offered a full confession of any crimes associated with apartheid. Since the commission began its work, it has been the central player in a drama that has riveted the country. In this book, Antjie Krog, a South African journalist and poet who has covered the work of the commission, recounts the drama, the horrors, the wrenching personal stories of the victims and their families. Through the testimonies of victims of abuse and violence, from the appearance of Winnie Mandela to former South African president P. W. Botha's extraordinary courthouse press conference, this award-winning poet leads us on an amazing journey. Country of My Skull captures the complexity of the Truth Commission's work. The narrative is often traumatic, vivid, and provocative. Krog's powerful prose lures the reader actively and inventively through a mosaic of insights, impressions, and secret themes. This compelling tale is Antjie Krog's profound literary account of the mending of a country that was in colossal need of change.

Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa

Historical

Crown

Lady Anne

Taurus

Krog captures the complexity of South Africa's Truth and Reconcilliation Commission in a personal narrative, taking the reader beneath the big movements of the Truth Commission and beyond, into the heart of what it means to be a South African today. Originally published by Jonathan Cape.

Vintage

2006, 2nd trade paperback edition (of a work first published in 1998), Random House, Johannesburg, South Africa. In English. 312 pages. A nicely produced work; type face a bit on the small side. Reporting on the issues of events in South Africa. Beautifully written by an experienced poet. "Trying to understand the new South Africa without the Truth and Reconciliation Commission would be futile; trying to understand the Commission without this book would be irresponsible."

Random House South Africa

Verweerskrif

Umuzi

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Books by Antjie Krog