Southern African Literature: An Introduction By Stephen Gray
Southern African Literature: An Introduction By Stephen Gray (Collectible First Edition)
A Landmark Structural Survey, Critical Assessment, and Comprehensive Reference Guide to the Subcontinent's Literary History
A Landmark Structural Survey, Critical Assessment, and Comprehensive Reference Guide to the Subcontinent's Literary History
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Southern African Literature: An Introduction
- Author: Stephen Gray
- Publisher: David Philip Publisher (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town / Johannesburg
- Publication Date: 1979
- ISBN-10: 0908396082
- ISBN-13: 9780908396085
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing (Collectible Academic Release)
- Binding: Original publisher's premium hardcover cloth boards, complete with the original illustrated dust jacket, now preserved inside a clear Cellophane archival cover.
- Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 209 pages. Lavishly detailed with an extensive bibliographic matrix, comparative textual notes, and structural timelines tracking the region's prominent authors.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's cloth casing remains structurally robust, square-cornered, and sharp. The spine is completely uncracked and unbruised, and the gilt or stamped spine lettering is clean and unrubbed.
- Interior: The inner hinges and binding are tight and flawless. The text block is robust, tight, and highly sound. Internal pages are completely clean, crisp, and intact. Free from standard consumer ink inscriptions, former library stamps, or dealer pencil annotations.
- Preservation: Meticulously looked after, carefully maintained, and now fully stabilized in a premium Cellophane sleeve to shield the binding from future edge wear.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good Minus (VG-)
- Condition: Present, complete, and unclipped. Displays limited, minor signs of shelf wear, light edge rubbing, and superficial creasing along the perimeter borders. Beautifully consolidated, bright, and seamlessly showcased beneath the protective archival Cellophane wrap.
Synopsis & Literary Value
Published in 1979 by the legendary independent house David Philip, Southern African Literature: An Introduction stands as a monumental and pioneering structural study of the region's written heritage. Author Stephen Gray identifies, tracks, and critically assesses the different lines of development of literature written in English across the complex, multilingual, and multicultural subcontinent of Southern Africa.
Breaking away from colonial frameworks, Gray delivers a thoroughly researched and lively survey that examines the intersections of oral tradition, local prose, poetry, and theater. Crucially, the volume includes an extensive bibliography and comprehensive reference notes on authors, making it an indispensable reference tool and foundational guide for serious academics, literary researchers, and collectors of modern African writing.
Author Profile: Stephen Gray
Stephen Gray (1941–2020) was one of South Africa’s most distinguished and influential poets, novelists, literary historians, and critics. He read English at the University of Cambridge and the University of Iowa's International Writing Program before serving as a long-term Professor of English at Rand Afrikaans University (now the University of Johannesburg). A passionate champion of indigenous writing, Gray published extensively across multiple genres—including widely acclaimed poetry collections, novels like Time of Our Darkness, and authoritative anthologies—leaving behind a lasting legacy that reshaped the study of Southern African English literature on the global stage.
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