The Short Story in South Africa: Contemporary Trends and Perspectives

The book explores the critical interventions on short story writing in South Africa written in English since 2000, highlighting the genre's renaissance and subgenres' popularity. It examines how the short story reflects and champions new developments in South African writing, reimagines traditional boundaries, and considers its place in twenty-first-century writing.

Format: Hardback
Length: 266 pages
Publication date: 25 March 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The short story genre, while often overlooked in national literary canons, has played a pivotal role in the trajectory of literary history in South Africa. In recent years, the short story has experienced a remarkable resurgence, with new collections and emerging writers making a substantial impact on the contemporary literary scene. Subgenres such as speculative fiction, erotic fiction, flash fiction, and queer fiction have witnessed rapid growth in popularity. This book delves into the significance of the short story genre in capturing or advocating for new developments in South African writing. It explores how traditional boundaries and definitions of the short story in South Africa have been reimagined in the present. By bringing together a diverse range of critical interventions, including scholarly articles, interviews, and personal reflective pieces, the volume traces some of the aesthetic and thematic continuities and discontinuities within the genre. Furthermore, it sheds new light on questions of literary form. Ultimately, the book examines the place of the short story in twenty-first-century writing and interrogates how the short story form can contribute to or reshape ideas about the post-apartheid or post-transitional era.

A comprehensive exploration of the short story genre in South Africa since 2000, this book offers valuable insights into the evolution and significance of this literary form. The short story, often marginalized in national literary canons, has emerged as a vital component of South African literature, reflecting the country's complex history and diverse cultural landscape. In recent years, the short story has undergone a remarkable renaissance, with new collections and emerging writers making a significant impact on the contemporary literary scene. Subgenres such as speculative fiction, erotic fiction, flash fiction, and queer fiction have witnessed rapid growth in popularity, expanding the boundaries of the genre and challenging traditional notions of what a short story can be.

This book examines the role of the short story genre in reflecting or championing new developments in South African writing. It explores how the short story has been used as a tool for social commentary and political commentary, as well as a means of exploring personal and cultural identities. The volume also considers the ways in which traditional boundaries and definitions of the short story in South Africa have been reimagined in the present. It explores how new technologies and platforms have impacted the production and consumption of short stories, as well as the ways in which the short story form may contribute to, or recast ideas of, the post-apartheid or post-transitional era.

The book is organized into five chapters, each dedicated to a different aspect of the short story genre in South Africa. The first chapter provides an overview of the historical development of the short story in South Africa, tracing its roots. The second chapter explores the role of the short story in shaping South African literature and culture. The third chapter examines the aesthetic and thematic continuities and discontinuities in the genre, highlighting the ways in which the short story has been used to explore issues of identity, belonging, and cultural heritage. The fourth chapter explores the ways in which the short story has been used to advocate for social and political change, highlighting the ways in which the short story has been used to challenge dominant narratives and promote alternative perspectives. The fifth chapter examines the place of the short story in twenty-first-century writing and interrogates the ways in which the short story form may contribute to, or recast ideas of, the post-apartheid or post-transitional era.

In conclusion, this book offers a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the short story genre in South Africa since 2000. It provides valuable insights into the evolution and significance of this literary form, highlighting the ways in which the short story has been used as a tool for social and political commentary, as well as a means of exploring personal and cultural identities. The book also considers the ways in which traditional boundaries and definitions of the short story in South Africa have been reimagined in the present, and explores the ways in which new technologies and platforms have impacted the production and consumption of short stories. Ultimately, this book offers a valuable contribution to the field of African literature, providing scholars and researchers with a comprehensive and accessible guide to contemporary short story writing in South Africa.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032129150