As the 15th of September draws closer, we are all excited to be part of this important moment in the collective memory-making of Macassar.
Parking will be available at Macassar High School Hall off the Bind Avenue entrance. It is a 3-minute walk from there to 3 Link Avenue. Also seating is limited and be prepared to stand in the event that all seats are taken. In case of inclement weather, the formalities will move to the Macassar High School Hall, where you will already be parked. Our event will include a short session of readings by community storytellers, a short discussion, and books will be available for purchase afterwards. Please check our website and Facebook page for updates leading up to the event.
BOOKS ON SALE (card payments only)
• Small format (14cm x 20cm) in both English and Afrikaans will be available for R275.
• A limited large-format edition (20cm x 24cm, English version) will be on sale for R650. Orders will also be taken for those interested in this format.
Join us this 15 September to celebrate Macassar’s heritage with the launch of its first community storybook, a collaborative creation by the award-winning Clint Abrahams and members of the Macassar community. The book features contributions by renowned writer Diana Ferrus and includes a foreword by Professor Jonathan Jansen.
with stories by
Enid Adonis, Thomas Adonis, Owen Amsterdam, Abdulsalaam Benjamin, Jan Booysen, Saul Claasen, Anita Constable, Colin Davids, Peter Davids, Taliep Edwards, Rosaline Etson, Hester Geduld, Shirleen Hopley, Sophia Jantjies, Sophie Mack, Paul Swartz, Daniel van Wyk, Mario Van Wyk, Ruben Wilson, September Wilson, Carl Wilters
Macassar : An anthology of stories was inspired by the award-winning 2018 youth street photography project titled Macassar, Who we are. The stories in this book allow the two projects to be read as an intergenerational conversation, describing Macassar as a meaningful place from within and showcasing how many who feel left behind still choose to describe their world with promise, hope, and dignity. This book serves as the first in a series of publications that aim to help community libraries focus on the creation of literary works from unexpected and unlikely places.
“… a work of art, an oral history, an archive, a political commentary, a literary piece, a demonstration of excellent translation praxis and most of all, a testimony to the power of collaborative storytelling. Organised as a collage, Macassar captures the interconnected nature of human life, and the place of individuals in a larger world. The writing is exquisite, presenting details with finesse, sensitivity and gentle humour. The voices in the stories are compelling and authentic, laced with patience and resilience. This is a work that reinforces the importance of subaltern histories and oral narratives, for lives to be documented with empathy, care and dignity, and the power of storytelling in this act of preservation…”
Nishevita Jayendran
Assistant Professor (Literature and Humanities)
Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education,
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
“…The proximity of the idea of building a house to the idea of building a life becomes obvious in Macassar and the stories its inhabitants tell about it. People brought to a place that was planned with little empathy talk about how they made it their own, step by step, brick by brick, act by act. It is a pleasure to follow the storytellers as they describe their programmatic and material practices, weighing the value of every element, every situation, and every topic wisely and resourcefully. I left the book, its people, and its vividly-described places happy, enriched, and very optimistic…”
Dr. Ing Anna Marijke Weber
Chair of Building Typologies and Design Basics
RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Studiolight is a community group established by Clint Abrahams in 2016, starting with twenty young people from Macassar. What began as a small initiative has since evolved into larger community-building efforts, resulting in the completion of several projects in Macassar and other communities. The group unites various community organizations and institutions to foster change by nurturing community agency and positioning citizens as the experts of their own communities. Studiolight challenges deeply held perceptions of neglected communities by posing critical questions about how post-colonial places are described from disadvantaged perspectives
Clint Abrahams is an architect and senior lecturer at the University of Cape Town. His academic research focuses on architectural tectonic culture, community engagement, and design/build projects. Through his work, Clint critically engages with postcolonial South African narratives, contributing to the expanding roles of both architects and citizens.
