News

The 2020 publication by HiPSA, Volume III-2 Sol T Plaatje: a life in letters, edited by Brian Willan and Sabata-mpho Mokae, won the 2021 S.A. Literary Award in the Creative Non-Fiction Category. Both editors paid a special tribute to HiPSA, Sabata-mpho Mokae saying, ‘Thank you for your decision to publish the book and your support throughout the years when we were working on it.’ Brian Willan commented: 'I see the award also as recognition of all the [...]

Historical Publications Southern Africa regularly donates some of our volumes to the History departments of various Universities as book prizes for deserving students. On 30 April 2021 the prize for the best History essay by a first-year student in the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies at the University of Pretoria was awarded to Ms Shemara Nalimuthu. The prize was presented by Dr Nisa Paleker, member of the HiPSA Council, at a Virtual Awards Ceremony. [...]

A wildfire that started on the slopes of Table Mountain on Sunday, 18 April 2021 swept across the upper campus of the University of Cape Town ravaging the Jagger library, which bore the brunt of the devastation. The University of Cape Town’s Jagger Reading Room was left in ruins. (Photo: Gallo Images / Die Burger / Jaco Marais) A steady stream of volunteers, including many members of HiPSA, have been arriving daily to help with the removal [...]

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic our Society's publication In a time of plague: Memories of the “Spanish” flu epidemic of 1918 in South Africa has become very topical. A substantial number of reviews of the publication, edited by Prof Howard Phillips, have recently appeared in journals and newspapers as well as on-line. The latest review by Elsabe Brits in Litnet on 24 April 2020 can be read HERE. Ms Brits concludes her review as follows: "Testimonies by survivors, [...]

REPORT OBTAINED FROM RHODES UNIVERSITY WEBSITE (https://www.ru.ac.za/) Dr Shell presenting Dr Cornelius with a copy On 18 February 2020, the Cory Library hosted the launch of Indoda Ebisithanda (The Man Who Loved Us): The Reverend James Laing among the amaXhosa 1831-1836, edited by Dr Sandy Shell, Senior Research Associate at Cory Library. This volume was compiled from the journals of Rev James Laing, writing about his missionary life among the amaNgqika at Mkhubiso/Burnshill in the Amathole Mountains of the [...]

A new Council of the Society was elected on 27 November 2019 and held its first meeting on 10 February 2020. The members of Council appear in the photo below HiPSA Council (10 Feb 2020) Back row from the left: Mr Rolf Proske, Mr Andrew Duncan, Prof  Susan Newton-King, Dr Anton Ehlers, Dr Russell Martin, Mr Justice Ian Farlam, Ms Najwa Hendrickse, Mr Danie de Villiers, Mr Hugh Amoore, Prof Adam Mendelsohn. Front row from the [...]