Fatima Meer: Prison Diary – One Hundred And Thirteen Days 1976

Prison Diary: One Hundred and Thirteen Days, 1976 by Fatima Meer is a powerful first-hand account of political imprisonment during the apartheid era in South Africa. Published by Kwela Books in Cape Town in 2001, this paperback edition contains 212 pages and records the 113 days Meer spent in detention in Johannesburg’s Old Fort during 1976.

Prison Diary: One Hundred and Thirteen Days, 1976 is particularly valuable because it presents apartheid-era detention through the personal observations of a woman who experienced imprisonment herself. Meer’s diary begins with her arrest and follows her experiences in detention, including the daily routines of prison life, conditions of confinement, interactions with other female political detainees and her treatment by prison warders.

Fatima Meer was a prominent South African academic, writer and anti-apartheid activist. A sociologist and lecturer at the University of Natal, she was deeply involved in opposition to apartheid and became one of the important voices documenting the experiences of South Africans affected by racial discrimination and political repression. Her writing provides an important perspective on the role of women in the struggle against apartheid.

The personal nature of Prison Diary: One Hundred and Thirteen Days, 1976 makes it especially compelling. Fatima Meer records the emotional and practical realities of incarceration, including her separation from her family, visits with her daughters and the ways in which she maintained her Muslim faith while in detention. The diary consequently provides insight into both the political circumstances of her imprisonment and the intimate human experience behind them.

Prison Diary: One Hundred and Thirteen Days, 1976 is also an important contribution to South African prison literature and historical writing about apartheid. Personal accounts such as Meer’s offer a perspective that complements conventional political histories by documenting everyday experiences of detention and resistance. The book has subsequently been used as a source in academic research concerning political imprisonment and the experiences of women detained under apartheid.

For readers interested in South African history, apartheid, political imprisonment, women’s history, human rights and anti-apartheid activism, Prison Diary: One Hundred and Thirteen Days, 1976 is an important and deeply personal historical document. This 2001 Kwela Books paperback is an excellent addition to collections of South African biography, political history, Africana and anti-apartheid literature.

Condition: Very Good – Light wear and foxing present, prior ownership in ink on front end page.