MANDLA LANGA

Mandla Langa, a South African writer, belongs to the top drawer where novels and short stories are concerned.         

 

Born in Kwazulu Natal to a distinguished South African family, Langa studied at the University of Fort-Hare (Alice), and before he went into exile, worked as a teacher for some time. Thereafter his stint in exile followed where he was to live in many countries.   

 

Langa was the first South African to be awarded an Arts Council of Great Britain Bursary for Creative Writing. His short stories have been published in many magazines and journals.  

But it is his novels which stamp Langa out as an exquisite literary talent. As critic Leke Giwa says: "What strikes one most is the sheer quality, weight and depth of Langa's works. They are real imaginative works that showcase his immense talent. 

"Just take a look at some of his novels and see how hefty they are, multi-layered and profound - I have in mind works like Memory of Stones, The texture of shadows, Tenderness of Blood, and The Lost colours of the chameleon".  

Indeed The lost colours of the Chameleon "a stupendous work of imagination", won the 2009 Commonwealth Writer's Prize; and continues to be praised by pundits across the board.   

Langa, in his short stories, often combines many intriguing elements: elegant prose, eclectic references, mystery, and some startling violence. He was an activist for years, and this is reflected in his very latest novel, The Texture of Shadows (2014).  

 After returning back to South Africa, Langa has held many pivotal positions, including administrative, in the media and business spheres. He is also an aficionado of music to boot!

Apart from his own books, he has contributed several stories, articles, Introductions, Forewords et al to many other publications; for example he wrote the Foreword to one of the books of another illustrious writer, Siphiwo Mahala.

Books by Mandla Langa.    

Memory of Stones (2000).

Naked Song and other Stories (1996).  

 A Rainbow on the Paper Sky.

Tenderness of blood.

The Lost Colours of the Chameleon.

The Texture of Shadows (2014)