I Write What I Like – Steve Biko

I Write What I Like is the landmark collection of writings by South African anti-apartheid activist and Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko, bringing together the ideas, essays, interviews and political commentary that established him as one of the most influential intellectual voices of twentieth-century South Africa.

Originally published in 1978, I Write What I Like preserves Biko’s thinking on Black Consciousness, racial oppression, liberation, African identity, education, religion, politics and the psychological consequences of apartheid. Among its most important material are writings associated with Biko’s celebrated “Frank Talk” columns, originally published through the South African Students’ Organisation. The book provides an unusually direct encounter with Biko’s own words and ideas rather than an interpretation of his life by a later biographer.

This Picador Africa edition was first published in South Africa in 2004 and contains a preface by Desmond Tutu and a foreword by Nkosinathi Biko. The copyright page records subsequent reprints in 2004, 2005, twice in 2006, 2007 and twice in 2008, identifying this example as one of the 2008 reprints.

For readers and collectors of South African political history, apartheid-era literature, liberation history and African political thought, I Write What I Like remains an essential primary-source work. Biko’s writings offer valuable insight into the intellectual foundations of the Black Consciousness Movement and the political and social climate of apartheid South Africa.

This copy presents well externally, with the illustrated photographic wrappers remaining attractive. Internally there is noticeable age-related foxing and spotting, particularly to the endpapers and preliminaries, together with discolouration/foxing to the page edges. The binding remains intact and the book is a sound reading and reference copy.

Condition – Good

Externally attractive with generally well-preserved wrappers and only light handling wear. Noticeable foxing, spotting and age-related discolouration are present internally, particularly to the endpapers and preliminaries, with substantial discolouration/foxing visible along the page edges. Binding remains sound.