Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BEST BOTSWANA READS
Fiction
No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Alexander McCall Smith) The topic that created a phenomenon.
Jamestown Blues (Caitlin Davies) Set in a poor salt-mining town, it explores the disparities between expatriate
and local life through the eyes of a young Motswana girl.
Whites and Mating (Norman Rush) The first is a collection of short stories on expatriate life, the second a prize-
winning comedy of manners featuring two Americans in 1980s Botswana.
Far and Beyon' (Unity Dow) Well-told chronicle of a family struggling with the often-contradictory pull of mod-
ern and traditional Botswana life.
Nonfiction
The Lost World of the Kalahari (Laurens van der Post) A classic and often eulogistic account of the disappear-
ing culture of the San in the 1950s.
Cry of the Kalahari (Mark and Delia Owens) A wonderfully written tale of seven years spent living among the
wildlife of the Kalahari.
Botswana Time (Will Randall) An endearing story of the author's time spent travelling with his school football
team.
Twenty Chickens for a Saddle (Robyn Scott) Funny yet enlightening retelling of a childhood in the Botswana
wilderness.
Place of Reeds (Caitlin Davies) Fascinating story of life as a Motswana wife and mother.
Serowe: Village of the Rain Wind (Bessie Head) An intriguing cultural study of life in Serowe in eastern Bot-
swana.
POETRY
Like many African cultures, Botswana has a rich oral tradition of poetry, and much of
Botswana's literary heritage, its ancient myths and poetry, is still unavailable in transla-
tion. One of the few books that is available is Bayeyi & Hambukushu: Tales from the
Okavango, edited by Thomas J Larson, which is a primary source of oral poetry and stor-
ies from the Okavango Panhandle region.
Botswana's best-known poet is probably Barolong Seboni, who, in 1993, was poet in
residence at the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh. He has written several books of
poems, including the short volume Love Songs (1994) and Windsongs of the Kgalagadi
(1995), which details some of the Batswana traditions, myths and history that have been
recited for centuries.
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