The Hajji and other stories ~ Ahmed Essop

The Hajji and other stories ~ Ahmed Essop

Medium soft cover
Very good condition

A landmark in South African literature, this 1978 collection by Ahmed Essop offers 22 vivid tales set in Johannesburgs Indian community, particularly Fordsburg and Lenasia. With sharp irony and emotional nuance, Essop explores themes of exile, identity, interracial relationships, and the moral dilemmas of apartheid-era life. His characters teachers, shopkeepers, gangsters, and spiritual healers navigate a world shaped by cultural tension and personal conviction.

The title story, The Hajji, is a haunting meditation on family estrangement and religious rigidity, as a dying mans wish for a Muslim burial is denied by his brother due to his interracial marriage. Other stories blend satire and pathos, revealing the hypocrisies and quiet heroism within tightly knit communities.

Essops prose is accessible yet profound, making this volume ideal for readers of South African fiction, diaspora literature, or anyone drawn to stories that illuminate the human cost of social division.

A rare and resonant collection perfect for collectors, students, or those seeking literary insight into the complexities of race, faith, and belonging.