Overview

Umkhapalanga - the Song of a Son integrates the philosophical writings of my father David with poems, stories, images and other observations along parallel themes that I, Alex, contributed in later years. Umkhapalanga is the isiZulu name for a cool wind that blows in the great valleys of Natal, below uKhahlamba, the Drakensberg, when the sun starts to decline. Umkhapalanga is therefore a wind which follows or 'sees off' the sun. It can also be taken to mean 'the shrouding of the sun'. I hope that in this dialogue, there will be kernels of validity, and thoughts and things that will be relevant to others - especially those families of the post-colonial English-speaking world that have been scattered so far and wide. So please look beyond the restrictions of references to the history of this family, or to the isiZulu language. Rather, please see in them the broader, essential themes they illustrate - or at least point to - and the way these affect all of us. Umkhapalanga - the Song of a Son reads as an extended meditation on diaspora - an experience that everyone on earth can relate to. Shortlisted for the International Plaza Prizes for Memoir, London, UK; and the At the Bay Prize for Hybrid Writing, Dunedin, New Zealand.

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Reviews

There are works which inform. There are works which entertain. There are works which inspire. Umkhapalanga is all of these. And much much more. My sincere congratulations on your tour de force. It is itself a 'cool wind of wisdom'. For it is prose, it's poetry, it's a monologue, a dialogue, a history, a reconciliation, a jeremiad, a panegyric ... in sum, a triumph. It's art, of course, and-to be sure-in its highest form. And you've both scarred me with motifs that have quite left me licking multiple wounds: Time. Nowp. Artificial absolutes. Kak vrae. Lest you remain convinced you hadn't Time (which doesn't exist, mind) yourself to talk to your Dad: You did talk to him. In this book. And in a much more epic and fulfilling way, for all concerned. Umkhapalanga is imbued with the ancient Romans' own spiritus ... yes, with umoya. Thank you, Alex, for sharing the unforgettable experience that is, and will always be, Umkhapalanga. -Dr Steven Roger Fischer FRS (NZ) author of The History of Reading, Islands, The History of Writing, Glyphbreaker, The Island at the End of the World. I am awe-struck by this book - it is brilliant - philosophical, whimsical, heartfelt and humorous. Everything good writing should be! -Alison Kirkman Alex, you have a beautiful way with words and I love that you play with them so. -Jane Hudson author of In the Name of the Mother Enjoying reading Umkhapalanga. Together with your Dad, you traverse a wide canvas ... relationships, personal experiences, family history, science, philosophy ... I love it. Umkhapalanga spans so many topics; Chaos, Space time, Seeing the light. Paisley patterns and logarithmic spirals ... and what about Nowp? I imagine a perfect setting for slow contemplative (Ja, Nee) discussion on these topics would be around a fire in the lowveld bush on a dark night with Orion or Scorpio overhead. Maybe even sharing a zol. -John Lightfoot

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