The University of the Western Cape (UWC) Vice-Chancellor’s Writer in Residence, Professor André Odendaal, has done it again – with a companion book hot off the press, following Dear Comrade President, published last year and nominated for a Sunday Times Award.

Prof Odendaal, an honorary professor in History and Heritage Studies at UWC, presented the university’s Rector and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Tyrone Pretorius, with the latest imprint of The Founders, on Monday, 9 October 2023. The book is a reissue of his work about the origins of the ANC and the Struggle for democracy in South Africa. 

The book has received glowing praise from peers, both locally and globally.

Robert R Edgar of Howard University writes: “This is a stunning work … The Founders promises to be the kind of reference work that scholars will rely on for generations to come.”

“The Founders is simply wonderful,” writes Gail Gerhart of Columbia University, “filling in so much detail on a period about which so relatively little has been written. Thank you for the incredible amount of work that obviously went into it.”

Prof Odendaal expressed his gratitude to the Rector and the University for the opportunities and space they have created for him to explore his historical research and writing. 

“It’s lovely that the two books now sit next to each other. It is a year since Dear Comrade President came out,” he said. “It’s quite special because Dear Comrade President is my 5th shortlisting for a prize, but this one for me the Sunday Times Award is like winning a prize in itself - helping to formalise what I’ve done here at UWC.”

Prof Pretorius said Prof Odendaal is proving to be a prolific writer. 

“You’re doing stunning work. Congratulations Andre,” the Rector told Prof Odendaal as he personalised a copy. “A book is not like a journal article that you can write in few weeks or months. A book takes lots of research, and one of the things about writing a book is that it’s a long and lonely journey. 

“I didn’t expect this – certainly not a book every year!”

The Founders is published by Jacana and is available widely.