Those featured in The Texture of Dissent were shaped and preoccupied by the issues facing South Africans after the Nationalist Party election victory in 1948 and most of the academics included in this volume only became prominent from the late 1990s. This volume draws on the ways in which public intellectuals are involved in the ‘political work of social change’ through defiant thought and action. Those assembled in this volume are, in the view of the writers, people who ultimately leave deep imprints on what it means to be human in a very complex and divided society.

Who or what is a public intellectual and how are they created? What is the role of the public intellectual in social, cultural, political and academic contexts? What are the kinds of questions they raise? What compels intellectuals to put forward their ideas? The Fabric of Dissent: Public Intellectuals in South Africa is a pioneering volume, representing a rich tapestry of South Africans who were able to rise beyond narrow formulations of identity into a larger sense of what it means to be human. Each brief portrait provides readers with an opportunity to consider the context, influences and unique tensions that shaped the people assembled here. In its entirety, the book showcases an astonishing array of achievements and bears testimony to the deep imprint of these public intellectuals. As South Africans continue to grapple with their past, present and future, it is clear that the insights of these remarkable people into reimagining an inclusive society continue to be relevant today.

After more than twenty years of democracy in South Africa, the history of the liberation struggle is losing relevance in the national consciousness as the country grapples with the pressing challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment. Nevertheless, the liberation struggle spawned many heroes and heroines, some whose contributions have been captured in autobiographies, biographies, book chapters, books and journal articles. There are many more heroes and heroines that are mere footnotes in the vast historiography of the liberation struggle - whose recollections and reflections are recorded in the words of the authors and their names acknowledged as sources in footnotes. The names of a larger number are not mentioned and do not feature even as footnotes in any publication on the history of the struggle. The book The other side of freedom: Stories of hope and loss in South African Liberation Struggle 1950-1994 presents a compilation of 26 profiles of a diverse selection of activists and leaders in the liberation struggle, framed between an introduction, a brief chronological account of the liberation struggle between 1950 and 1994, and a conclusive analysis of the autobiographical accounts as well as their legacy. The chapters present a better and fuller portrait of several unsung heroes and heroines of the South African liberation struggle by penetrating beyond the deeds, ideals, sacrifices, glory and greatness to examine individual human beings who are still living, and their recollections of others who have passed on.

The third volume in the series examines the role of anti-apartheid movements around the world and their success in both creating awareness of the liberation struggle in South Africa, and in contributing to the downfall of the apartheid government. This volume, in two parts, brings together analysis written by activist scholars with deep roots in the movements and organisations they are writing about. This first part focuses on International Solidarity with the liberation struggle. It covers the contribution of various international organisations, governments and their peoples, and solidarity organisations, to the liberation struggle in South Africa. In particular, the roles of nine western European countries are discussed: West Germany; Belgium; Austria; France; The Netherlands; Portugal; Spain; Greece and Switzerland. The second part focuses on African solidarity, with an emphasis on the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and its Liberation Committee; various countries in the southern African region, including the role that Tanzania and Zambia played; as well as countries in west, east and North Africa. This is a major resource for historians, scholars and anyone interested in the history of South Africa, and will be valued by future generations for its sensitive collection of highly significant historical material.