Suspect Reconciliation! A dialogue between Ariel Dorfman and four young South African writers

“In the current debate, little is being heard from that submerged zone of our species who live far from the centres of power but are often near the quick centre of suffering where ethical choices determine the immediate shape of things to come and things to be postponed.”– Ariel Dorfman, September 11, 1991 (18 years after the Allende government was toppled by Pinochet’s coup d’état)

In a once-off event, critically acclaimed Chilean-American author and human rights activist Ariel Dorfman will enter into conversation with four new-generation South African authors about the project of national reconciliation.

The event, entitled “Suspect Reconciliation! A dialogue between Ariel Dorfman and four young South African writers”, sees Dorfman in dialogue with Niq Mhlongo, Kevin Bloom, Henrietta Rose-Innes and Thando Mgqolozana.

Moderated by Victor Dlamini, this exceptional event is hosted by the former vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town, Njabulo Ndebele.

“Suspect Reconciliation!” aims to explore what reconciliation means to South Africans, particularly to a younger generation of writers. This generation may have come of age after 1994 but nonetheless have had to engage with the legacy of apartheid and face the challenges of nation-building.

Here you will find a collection of resources on the topic and some of the authors’ thoughts around this dialogue.

To start your reading, we have a thought piece by Ndebele, followed by profiles on the young authors and Dlamini. Finally, we have a collection of relevant writings kindly contributed by Dorfman.