Fred Khumalo Quotes
born 1966 South Africa
Fred Khumalo (born 4 August 1966) is a South African journalist and writer known for books such as Bitches'Brew and Dancing the Death Drill.
- South Africa
- Journalists
- Memoirists
- Non-fiction authors
- Novelists
Random Fred Khumalo quote
20 quotes
I have realised that the so called writer's block comes when the writing muscle does not get exercised as often as it should be
The South African publishing industry is still largely in white hands.
Migration impacted the lives of black people a lot in South Africa – forced migration – because it was always against our own will
You have to be very careful as you are writing. Not too much preaching or teaching at the expense of entertainment. At the same time, you don’t want to be superficial.
If you were a foreigner coming to South Africa, and you read the books, you will think black people do not exist
I’ve seen some historical novelists playing with facts, that is just distasteful, disrespectful as to history
Historical fiction can be a powerful tool in the hands of a writer who is also an activist
We have yet to formulate or to forge a common identity that says “South Africa"
Writing a novel is like running a marathon
fiction projects today’s reality into the future much better than nonfiction
systematically and deliberately tackle heavy subjects in my writing
the people who colonized us used religion as an excuse, as an entry point, into this country.
If you go to a Catholic Church in South Africa, it’s a far cry from what you are familiar with in France or Europe
We’re a country that is trying to find itself as a nation. We are not a nation
I still believe that the liberation theology movement did make an impact
I find it works to draw people because history can be intimidating. But if you infuse it with some humor, it becomes more palatable in a way
We pretend that queerness or homosexuality is a new phenomenon. It’s always been there. It’s there in our songs and historical books but it’s something that we’re, like, ashamed of
Yes. Christianity, to many black people – especially in KZN1 which was then Natal or Zululand – was an escape
So they used religion – Christianity to be more specific – to deceive us
My job as a novelist is to record what happened back then, but to also raise a flag, to caution that the country still has some unfinished business