The Way Home: Memories of a South African in Exile

This book records the years of Morley Nkosi's exile from Apartheid South Africa, most of which he spent as an academic in the United States. It is also the story of his life until that forced departure, chronicling the trials, joys, and hopes of a young man born and raised in colonial and Apartheid South Africa. In these pages, he looks back at his upbringing, schooling, early employment, and exposure to the Pan-Africanist ideology that led to his political awakening and, ultimately, to his activism and exile. It is hoped that this work will add a new and illuminating dimension to the literature of Apartheid-era exile, a literature which is thinner, in certain respects, than it ought to be, considering the complexity of the exile experience and the role that those outside the country played in defeating the Nationalist regime and the forces that supported and promoted it. The Way Home adds a vital part of the literature on the lived experiences of formerly exiled South Africans; yet immensely valuable to those who waged the struggle on the home front as well. It is a must read for the old, young and, hopefully, those yet to be born. - Dr Mokubung Nkomo