Chaka (Paperback)

Chaka by Thomas Mofolo is the first of many works of literature that take Shaka, the great Zulu leader as its subject. Written in Sesotho in 1909 (though only published in 1925), it was an instant hit and quickly became Mofolo’s most highly regarded work. A mythic retelling of the story of Shaka’s rise and fall, it was translated into English in 1931 and went on to form the foundation for every subsequent telling of the Shaka legend. In Chaka Mofolo presents us with a study of human passion, of uncontrolled and then uncontrollable ambition leading to the moral destruction of the human character, that is comparable with Shakespeare’s most famous works – Henry V, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus, King Lear, Richard III. In recognition of its seminal influence on literature across the continent, Chaka was named one of the twelve best works of African literature of the 20th century by a panel organized by Ali Mazrui. Subsequent to the initial English translation, the book was published in French, German and Afrikaans. A second, updated English translation was commissioned in 1980. This translation – by Daniel P Kunene (now Professor Emeritus in the Department of African Languages and Literature at the University of Wisconsin) – is ae reissued by Kwela Books in April 2015.