Reading Revolution's Panel Discussion

  

Soon after running into Mfudi Vundla I accompanied my friend to the panel discussion on Prof. Ashwin Desai’s latest book Reading Revolution - Shakespeare on Robben Island held at the APK Library Auditorium, University of Johannesburg.

We missed the beginning of the panel discussion as well as the authur’s reading. What we did catch were review comments by Marcus Solomon Marcus Solomon, a panelist and former Robben Island prisoner, such as book is not about Shakespeare – despite the title. It is instead about the inmates life on the island through soccer and how a culture of learning flourished. To him the relevancy of this book is it fuels the desire to learn.

Shakespeare on Robben Island explains the different levels of studying by those incarcerated. Others learned geography, English, how to write dramas and many other subjects. Solomon learned about history and the world at Robben Island. It was on the island the country’s intellects and freedom fighters committed to studying.  He believes that education does not bring liberation, but without liberation there can be no education; that it’s a disaster our children have no access to books; that the current state of affairs as a collective problem and that wastage of resources has to be arrested.  

Verne Harris Verne Harris, of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and a panelist member, added that the book is stimulating because it gives fresh perspective and fresh values on what has been previously written about Robben Island and it’s most famous former prisoner Nelson Mandela.

 

L - R: Prof. Adam Habib with panelists: Mosa Phadi, Marcus Solomon, Ashwin Desai, Verne Harris

Author signing books