I Swear by Azania

I Swear by Azania

HISTORICAL

Pages: 134 Ratings: 5.0

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I Swear by Azania is set in post-apartheid South Africa. The story follows Azania, a girl with Pseudoachondroplasia who was born to an Aboriginal Australian father, and a white South African Afrikaner mother. After Azania’s mother commits suicide, she is sent to live with her racist aunt, where Azania is subjected to a life of abuse, neglect and misery. The story takes a deeper look into how racism and discrimination direly affected the lives of characters such as Dingane and Elise from the time of when Apartheid in South Africa was at its peak, to the present post-Apartheid. We see that even though Apartheid was repealed in 1991 (leading to the democratic elections of 1994), the cruel, racist and discriminative legacy of Apartheid still continues to live on.

Shaakira Ally is a poet and spoken word artist. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, where she majored in English (Language and Literature) and Historical Studies. Her poetry focuses on issues such as gender-based violence (and other types of abuse), mental health issues and discrimination. Shaakira’s previous published work is series of beautifully written poems titled A Pariah’s Heartbreak, which gives a compelling look into the mind of a trauma survivor. I Swear by Azania is Shaakira’s first novel.