Can Themba

The Making and Breaking of the Intellectual Tsotsi, a Biography

Mahala’s biography gives insight into the life and writing of Can Themba (19241967), an iconic figure of the South African literary world and Drum journalist who died in exile
This rich and absorbing biography of Can Themba, iconic Drum-era journalist and writer, is the definitive history of a larger-than-life man who died too young. Siphiwo Mahala’s intensive and often fresh research features unprecedented archival access and interviews with Themba’s surviving colleagues and family.
Mahala’s biography takes a critical historical approach to Themba’s life and writing, giving a picture of the whole man, from his early beginnings in Marabastad to his sombre end in exile in Swaziland. The better-known elements of his life his political views, passion for teaching and mentoring, family life and his drinking are woven together with an examination of his literary