| Mandla Langa | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1950 Stanger, Durban |
| Notable work(s) | The Lost Colours of the Chameleon (2008) The Memory of Stories (2000) |
| Notable award(s) | 2009 Commonwealth Writer's Prize 1991 Arts Council of Great Britain’s Bursary for Creative Writing |
Mandla Langa (born in 1950 Stanger, Durban) is a published South African poet, short story writer, and novelist. He grew up in KwaMashu township.[1] Langa studied at the University of Fort Hare where he graduated in 1972 with a B.A. in English and Philosophy.[2]
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Mandla Langa was born in Stanger, Durban in 1950 and grew up in KwaMashu township twenty miles north of Durban.[3] Langa grew up during the implementation of the apartheid system. He is one of nine children. His brother Pius Langa, served as Chief Justice in South Africa. His other brother, Bheki Langa served as South Africa’s ambassador to Russia. Mandla Langa attended Gardner Memorial School, Sibonelo High School in Durban, and then the University of Fort Hare. Given the substantial amount of political strikes during his college career, he was able to complete his BA in English and Philosophy in 1972. In 1974, Langa became actively involved as a director of the South African Students' Organization (SASO) and maintained his position until his arrest in 1976. He was arrested for attempting to leave the country without a permit and served 101 days in jail.[4] According to Charles Larson’s (editor of Under African Skies) introduction of Langa, Langa himself said that his arrest was due to sedition. While imprisoned, Langa continued to improve his writing skills. After serving his sentence, Langa fled to Botswana, marking the start of his life in exile. Langa also spent time in Lesotho, Angola where he participated in military training at the MK camps, also known as Umkhonto we Sizwe.[5] In addition to Lesotho, Langa spent time in Mozambique, Zambia, Hungary and the UK.[6] Langa has two daughters with wife June Josephs.[7]
Some of Langa’s early publications include poems such as “Pension Jives” and “They No Longer Speak to Us in Song”. In addition to writing poetry, Langa began writing prose. His story "The Dead Men Who Lost Their Bones" was the first to be published in Drum Magazine in 1980.[8] Langa’s success prompted his literary evolution from poetry to novels. In 1991, Langa became the first South African to be awarded the Arts Council of Great Britain Bursary for Creative Writing.[9] Langa’s diverse work includes penning an opera, “Milestones” with musical accompaniment composed by jazz musician, Hugh Masekela. In 1999, “Milestones” was featured at the Standard Bank Festival in Grahamstown.[10] In 2007, Langa received SA’s National Order of Ikhamanga (Silver) for literary, journalistic and cultural achievements.[11] In February 2003, the Pan African Writer’s Association (PAWA) featured Langa in an event promoting him as a distinguished South African writer: “An Evening with Mandla Langa”.[12] Langa’s continued success in novels landed him the distinction of the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Best Book in Africa) in 2009 for The Lost Colours of the Chameleon.[13] He appeared at the 2011 Paris Book Fair.[14] He will also be partaking in the Bush Theatre's 2011 project Sixty Six where he has written a piece based upon a chapter of the King James Bible[15]
Currently Langa is serving on the following boards...