Hugh Lewin – författare

A brave and moving memoir which is both a family history and a story of friendship and betrayal between people caught up in the wrenching forces of the South African Struggle. It is framed as a journey between two railway stations. The departure is from Park station Johannesburg and the destination is York station in Britain. It is an actual journey and the arrival at York is a real event, but it is also a symbolic journey in which Lewin describes his progress towards a meeting with Adrian Leftwich, the man who betrayed him to the Security Police in 1964. Park station is the point of departure because it was the site in 1964 of the station bomb planted by John Harris who was associated with the cell in which Lewin operated. The book therefore has a quest structure. After 40 years, Lewin is determined to meet with his long-term friend Leftwich both to find out what happened at his trial and to deal with the emotions of anger and bitterness that have assailed him ever since. Lewin’s subject is the culpability of betrayal.

A brave and moving memoir which is both a family history and a story of friendship and betrayal between people caught up in the wrenching forces of the South African Struggle. It is framed as a journey between two railway stations. The departure is from Park station Johannesburg and the destination is York station in Britain. It is an actual journey and the arrival at York is a real event, but it is also a symbolic journey in which Lewin describes his progress towards a meeting with Adrian Leftwich, the man who betrayed him to the Security Police in 1964. Park station is the point of departure because it was the site in 1964 of the station bomb planted by John Harris who was associated with the cell in which Lewin operated. The book therefore has a quest structure. After 40 years, Lewin is determined to meet with his long-term friend Leftwich both to find out what happened at his trial and to deal with the emotions of anger and bitterness that have assailed him ever since. Lewin’s subject is the culpability of betrayal.

Convicted on charges of protest sabotage in 1964, Hugh Lewin spent seven years in prison in South Africa, secretly recording his experiences and those of his fellow inmates on the pages of his Bible. On his release, these writings were published in London while the book remained banned in South Africa for many years. Hailed as a classic of South African prison writing, Bandiet out of Jail contains the full text of the original, as well as poems and descriptions of Lewin’s experiences with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that offer unique insights into changes in the political and emotional landscape since his return to South Africa in 1992. The illustrations comprise original prison drawings by Harold Strachan, twice a fellow bandiet with Lewin in Pretoria. Bandiet out of Jail was awarded the Olive Schreiner Prize in 2003.

Convicted on charges of protest sabotage in 1964, Hugh Lewin spent seven years in prison in South Africa, secretly recording his experiences and those of his fellow inmates on the pages of his Bible. On his release, these writings were published in London while the book remained banned in South Africa for many years. Hailed as a classic of South African prison writing, Bandiet out of Jail contains the full text of the original, as well as poems and descriptions of Lewin’s experiences with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that offer unique insights into changes in the political and emotional landscape since his return to South Africa in 1992. The illustrations comprise original prison drawings by Harold Strachan, twice a fellow bandiet with Lewin in Pretoria. Bandiet out of Jail was awarded the Olive Schreiner Prize in 2003.