18 January 2010

"A Game Apart: The Real Story Behind the World Cup in South Africa" by Neal Collins

Browsing through the internet I just came across Neal Collins' 2010 World Cup inspired book "A Game Apart". The author is a London based sports journalist who grew up in South Africa. The fictional book is based on what he witnessed as a student, footballer and very junior sports journalist in South Africa from 1979 to 1985. The description of the book on amazon sounds really interesting to me.

"The greatest football tournament on earth will take place in Africa for the first time next year, with the World Cup kicking off in Johannesburg on June 11. A GAME APART tries to explain just how miraculous that simple fact is.
Based largely on what I witnessed myself as a student, footballer and sports journalist, this is an honest - but fictional - account of what it was like to play football in South Africa before democracy came rolling in with Nelson Mandela in 1993.There was trouble on the pitch, trouble on the streets, trouble on the beaches. Apartheid and trouble went hand in hand. A lot of the publicity surrounding the upcoming World Cup has been negative, with the focus on crime and corruption. My perception is very different. I believe the country has changed massively for the better in 16 short years. I've waited all that time to let my memories loose, and the World Cup seems an appropriate time to write a novel that, I hope, will help people to remember exactly what the Rainbow Nation has been through. This novel will annoy some, please others. All I ask is that the reader recognizes this is how a young Englishman might have viewed the South Africa I grew up in. A strange but beautiful country riven by cruelty and mistrust and headed for a bloody revolution . . . until the release of Mandela in 1990. For those who visit the country, for those who view it on a television screen, for those who read about it in the newspapers, I hope to offer some perspective. Apartheid should never be forgotten. Otherwise somebody will repeat the process. And that must never be allowed to happen." (Product Description from amazon.com)

1 comment:

  1. Glad you found my book... will be in South Africa soon (May 8-11 at Indaba 2010 expo in Durban) if you'd like a signed copy (or two!)
    Neal Collins
    neal@nealcollins.co.uk

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