Without much fanfare Ahmed Kathrada worked alongside Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and other giants in the struggle to end racial discrimination in South Africa. He faced house arrest and many court trials related to his activism until, finally, a trial for sabotage saw him sentenced to life imprisonment alongside Mandela and six others.

Conversations with a Gentle Soul has its origins in a series of discussions between Kathrada and Sahm Venter about his opinions, encounters and experiences. Throughout his life, Kathrada has refused to hang on to negative emotions such as hatred and bitterness. Instead, he radiates contentment and the openness of a man at peace with himself. His wisdom is packaged within layers of optimism, mischievousness and humour, and he provides insights that are of value to all South Africans.

On a freezing winter’s night, a few hours before dawn on 12 May 1969, security police stormed the Soweto home of Winnie Mandela and detained her in the presence of her two young daughters, then aged eight and ten.

Rounded up in a group of other anti-apartheid activists under Section 6 of the Terrorism Act, designed for the security police to hold and interrogate people for as long as they wanted, she was taken away. This was the start for Winnie Mandela of a 491-day period of detention and two trials.

Forty-one years after her release on 14 September 1970, Greta Soggot, the widow of David Soggot, one of Winnie Mandela’s advocates during the 1969/1970 trials, handed her a stack of papers that included a journal and notes that she had written in detention.

491 Days: Prisoner number 1323/69 shares with the world Winnie Mandela’s moving and compelling journal as well as some of the letters written between affected parties at the time. Readers gain insight into the brutality she experienced, her depths of despair as well as her resilience and defiance under extreme pressure.

This book was co-edited by Swati Dlamini and Sahm Venter with the support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Something to write home about is a collection of more than 90 contributions of prose and poetry, from journalists around the world, all reflections of how they have been moved by events they have covered. Journalists who are encouraged not to let their personal feelings enter their reports, have given us a rare glimpse of the gamut of feelings they experience while doing their jobs. The contributors - reporters, photographers, television camera operators and producers - represent 25 nationalities and write from more than 40 countries. Of the 90 contributors to this title, 30 hail from Africa: South Africa, Togo, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Botswana.

First published to mark the centenary of Nelson Mandela's birth, The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela sparked celebrations around the globe. Featuring 94 letters selected from that landmark collection, as well as new introductory material and six new letters that have never been published, this historic paperback provides an essential political history of the late twentieth century and illustrates how Mandela maintained his inner spirit while imprisoned. Whether they are longing love letters to his wife, Winnie; heartrending notes to his beloved children; or articulations of a human-rights philosophy that resonates today, these letters reveal the heroism of a man who refused to compromise his moral values in the face of extraordinary human punishment, invoking a "story beyond their own words" (The New York Times). This new paperback edition-essential for any literature lover, political activist and student-positions Mandela amongst the most inspiring historical figures of the twentieth century.

Arrested in 1962 as South Africa's apartheid regime intensified its brutal campaign against political opponents, forty-four-year-old lawyer and African National Congress activist Nelson Mandela had no idea that he would spend the next twenty-seven years in jail. During his 10,052 days of incarceration, Mandela wrote hundreds of letters to unyielding prison authorities, fellow activists, government officials, and most memorably, to his wife Winnie and his five children. Now, 255 of these letters, the majority of which were previously unseen, provide the most intimate portrait of Mandela since Long Walk to Freedom. Painstakingly researched, authenticated and catalogued by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the letters have been drawn from the Foundation's archive as well as from public and private collections held by the Mandela family and South African government archives. Mandela's letters are organised chronologically and divided by the four prisons in which he was incarcerated. Each section opens with a short introduction to provide a historical overview of each of these periods and the collection features a foreword by Zamaswazi Dlamini-Mandela. Whether writing about the death of his son Thembi after a request to attend the funeral was ignored, providing unwavering support to his also-imprisoned wife or outlining a human-rights philosophy that resonates today, The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela reveals the heroism of a man who refused to compromise his moral values in the face of extraordinary human punishment. Ultimately, they confirm Mandela's position among the most inspiring historical figures of the twentieth century.

In an effort to improve and widen the knowledge of all South African about crucial aspects of South Africa's history, a series of titles called Exploring our National days has been developed. The titles cover South Africa's historical path, from the 1868 battle of Voortrekker versus Zulu (Day of Reconciliation); to the Women's March in 1956 (National Women's Day); the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960 (Human Rights' Day); the Soweto Uprisings of 1976 (Youth Day); up to the day officially recognised as the birth of South African democracy (Freedom Day). The series also covers Workers' Day and Heritage Day. The titles also provide thumbnail sketches of some of the key players in the unfolding drama of South African history, making the links between history and contemporary society clear. Created for readers still at school, the series provides simple and easily accessible accounts of important days in the history of South Africa. They include guides for teachers and facilitators on how to use the information in the books to best help learners read and apply the knowledge they gain.

This book is a selection of quotations from hundreds upon hundreds, which veteran Anti-Apartheid campaigner Ahmed Kathrada recorded in private notebooks which he kept secretly during his imprisonment - which covered 18 years on Robben Island, and seven years in Pollsmoor Prison. While the keeping of such notebooks was not officially allowed, over the years Kathy collected and recorded quotations which had captured his imagination. In the process, he filled seven volumes - six while on Robben Island between 1965 and 1982; and the last volume when he was held at Pollsmoor Prison from October 1982 and until his release in October 1989.

I Remember Nelson Mandela is a collection of remembrances from those who worked with, for and beside Mandela. More than one hundred individuals, from household staff to bodyguards and presidential advisors, have offered their memories, which provide warm, poignant and often humorous insights into what it was like behind the scenes with one of the most revered and beloved political figures the world has seen.

‘Nothing is more important than to be loved by your colleagues.’ – Nelson Mandela, 5 August 2008, addressing the staff of the Nelson Mandela Foundation at a private celebration for his 90th birthday

The collection is the dream-child of Mrs Graça Machel who, some months after Nelson Mandela’s passing on 5 December 2013, met with former members of his staff to thank them for their service. Listening to their stories inspired the creation of this, the perfect gift book, providing readers with a glimpse into the man behind the title.