--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I thought that, post-apartheid, there…" description: "\"I thought that, post-apartheid, there would be absolutely no interest in South Africa. That has been both true and untrue. The major writers like Gordi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/justin-cartwright-7411_apartheid_i-thought-that-post-apartheid-there-woul_2441633.jpg" --- # I thought that, post-apartheid, there would be absolutely… ![“I thought that, post-apartheid, there would be absolutely no interest in South Africa. That has been both true and untrue. The major writers like Gordimer and Coetzee have produced major books. But some of the more minor writers have drifted away.” quote by Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/justin-cartwright-7411_apartheid_i-thought-that-post-apartheid-there-woul_2441633.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/justin-cartwright-7411_apartheid_i-thought-that-post-apartheid-there-woul_2441633.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca8/justin-cartwright-7411_apartheid_i-thought-that-post-apartheid-there-woul_2441633.jpg) > “I thought that, post-apartheid, there would be absolutely no interest in South Africa. That has been both true and untrue. The major writers like Gordimer and Coetzee have produced major books. But some of the more minor writers have drifted away.” [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Post‑apartheid South Africa still attracts literary interest, though major authors dominate while lesser ones fade. **In simple terms:** South Africa still draws writers, but lesser known fade. Key Takeaway Support diverse South African voices. Themes culture literature politics Mood thoughtful analytical Type cultural critical When to use this quote - publishing decisions - literary criticism - educational curricula - cultural tourism Key Concepts post‑colonialism visibility market dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can readers discover lesser‑known South African authors? - What factors influence literary prominence? A Different Perspective Minor writers may struggle for exposure despite relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apartheid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apartheid/) [Apartheid Absolutely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apartheid-absolutely-492640/) [Coetzee Produced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coetzee-produced-492639/) [Gordimer Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gordimer-coetzee-492641/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Post Apartheid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/post-apartheid-492638/) [South africa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south-africa/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) ## Related quotes > ['Sizwe' is the beginning of protest theatre; 'Nothing But The Truth' is post-apartheid South Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/sizwe-is-the-beginning-of-protest-theatre-nothing-but-the-truth-is/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [Growing up in this post-apartheid era, the first generation of teens in South Africa living in this new democracy, I often found myself feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adhir-kalyan/growing-up-in-this-post-apartheid-era-the-first-generation-of-teens/) [Adhir Kalyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adhir-kalyan/) > [“I don't think that, when future generations look at the apartheid struggle, they will see it as quite the momentous literary cauldron that recent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/i-don-t-think-that-when-future-generations-look-at-the-apartheid/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [They don't stand for anything different in South Africa than America stands for. The only difference is over there they preach as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/they-don-t-stand-for-anything-different-in-south-africa-than-america/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The Jews took Israel from the Arabs after the Arabs had lived there for a thousand years. Israel, like South Africa, is an apartheid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-verwoerd/the-jews-took-israel-from-the-arabs-after-the-arabs-had-lived-there/) [Hendrik Verwoerd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-verwoerd/) > [Apartheid was in South Africa; now it has been transferred to Palestine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yahya-jammeh/apartheid-was-in-south-africa-now-it-has-been-transferred-to-palestine/) [Yahya Jammeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yahya-jammeh/) > [Now, of course, we know there has been an end to apartheid in South Africa, but what excited me was seeing it in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rees/now-of-course-we-know-there-has-been-an-end-to-apartheid-in-south/) [Roger Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rees/) > [All of my life had been spent in the shadow of apartheid. And when South Africa went through its extraordinary change in 1994, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athol-fugard/all-of-my-life-had-been-spent-in-the-shadow-of-apartheid-and-when/) [Athol Fugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athol-fugard/) > [No other country in the world imprisons so many of its racial or ethnic minorities. The United States imprisons a larger percentage of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/no-other-country-in-the-world-imprisons-so-many-of-its-racial-or/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [“To protest about bullfighting in Spain, the eating of dogs in South Korea, or the slaughter of baby seals in Canada while continuing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/to-protest-about-bullfighting-in-spain-the-eating-of-dogs-in-south/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [In some respects, South African apartheid was more vicious than Israeli practices, and in some respects the opposite is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/in-some-respects-south-african-apartheid-was-more-vicious-than/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ We have introduced a rule of law. That never existed for centuries in this country \[South Africa\], especially under the apartheid regime, when the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/we-have-introduced-a-rule-of-law-that-never-existed-for-centuries-in/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [“I would be guilty only if I were innocent of working to destroy racism in my country.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-would-be-guilty-only-if-i-were-innocent-of-working-to-destroy/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [The private schools and the independent schools like Oprah's are really doing well because they've got the best of everything but it certainly puts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlayne-hunter-gault/the-private-schools-and-the-independent-schools-like-oprah-s-are/) [Charlayne Hunter-Gault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlayne-hunter-gault/) > [I try not to get too political. But coming from South Africa, where apartheid was a huge problem, and there was lots of inequality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-anderson/i-try-not-to-get-too-political-but-coming-from-south-africa-where/) [Kevin Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-anderson/) ## More by Justin Cartwright > [My own interest in Kafka's letter came about when I was writing an article on Peter Ginz, the boy novelist held in Terezin, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/my-own-interest-in-kafka-s-letter-came-about-when-i-was-writing-an/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [Germany led the world in photography and film: 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari' and 'Metropolis' are works that, to this day, film buffs revere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/germany-led-the-world-in-photography-and-film-the-cabinet-of-dr/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [I was lucky to get to Oxford. I am now an honorary fellow of my old college, which is nice, particularly for a colonial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/i-was-lucky-to-get-to-oxford-i-am-now-an-honorary-fellow-of-my-old/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [The plane approaches Cape Town and, as always, I am astonished by the view of Table Mountain and the surrounding sea. It is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/the-plane-approaches-cape-town-and-as-always-i-am-astonished-by-the/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [Someone once pointed out that there are quite a lot of animals in my books, and I'm sure that is something to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/someone-once-pointed-out-that-there-are-quite-a-lot-of-animals-in-my/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [It is uncomfortable to be reminded that the Catholic church only removed the reference to 'perfidious Jews' from the Good Friday liturgy in 1960.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/it-is-uncomfortable-to-be-reminded-that-the-catholic-church-only/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [I have worshipped Berlin from the day I read 'Two Concepts of Liberty' in South Africa. It seemed to make it respectable to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/i-have-worshipped-berlin-from-the-day-i-read-two-concepts-of-liberty/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [So often in English fiction, people are either upper-class twits, or else they're knockabouts, less than human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/so-often-in-english-fiction-people-are-either-upper-class-twits-or/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [I write from what I take to be the realist's point of view, looking at life as it really is - or the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/i-write-from-what-i-take-to-be-the-realist-s-point-of-view-looking-at/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [This Oscar Pistorius business is interesting. There is this cult of carrying lots of guns and being ready to shoot somebody. There were people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/this-oscar-pistorius-business-is-interesting-there-is-this-cult-of/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [The fascination with Judas has persisted despite the fact that there is no evidence of the hard facts of his life. Even the 'Iscariot'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/the-fascination-with-judas-has-persisted-despite-the-fact-that-there/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [Nicola Barker is both prodigiously talented and admirably fearless. I have loved her books. But for some time, I had little or no idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/nicola-barker-is-both-prodigiously-talented-and-admirably-fearless-i/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [Writing 'Judas: The Troubling History of the Renegade Apostle' must have been a difficult task because there are no facts. Judas may quite possibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/writing-judas-the-troubling-history-of-the-renegade-apostle-must-have/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [The Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford is an astonishing building, designed by Christopher Wren. Its painted ceiling has just been restored so that the darkish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/the-sheldonian-theatre-in-oxford-is-an-astonishing-building-designed/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [Complete barista-standard coffee machines cost from £1,600 to more than £20,000.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/complete-barista-standard-coffee-machines-cost-from-1-600-to-more/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) [Explore all 91 Justin Cartwright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) ## More Apartheid quotes > [My life had been defined by the apartheid years. Now we were going into an era of democracy... and I believed that I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athol-fugard/my-life-had-been-defined-by-the-apartheid-years-now-we-were-going/) [Athol Fugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athol-fugard/) > [If apartheid is removed, then the violence that is necessary to maintain it will be removed along with the pressures from apartheid which create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-tambo/if-apartheid-is-removed-then-the-violence-that-is-necessary-to/) [Oliver Tambo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-tambo/) > [I try not to get too political. But coming from South Africa, where apartheid was a huge problem, and there was lots of inequality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-anderson/i-try-not-to-get-too-political-but-coming-from-south-africa-where/) [Kevin Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-anderson/) > [I grew up under Thatcher; the era of apartheid; the era of the poll tax; the era of riots. I remember Neil Kinnock was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lammy/i-grew-up-under-thatcher-the-era-of-apartheid-the-era-of-the-poll-tax/) [David Lammy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lammy/) > [When I talk about the end of apartheid, I prefer not to claim the honor that I have ended it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-w-de-klerk/when-i-talk-about-the-end-of-apartheid-i-prefer-not-to-claim-the/) [F. W. de Klerk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-w-de-klerk/) > [ We \[ with Brian Mulroney and Rajiv Gandhi\] went to the meeting in Canada \[the 1987 Vancouver CHOGM\] and I said to them there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/we-with-brian-mulroney-and-rajiv-gandhi-went-to-the-meeting-in-canada/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [My time in prison only deepened my resolve against apartheid. Even while I was in prison, I fought against it, teaching my cellmates about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/my-time-in-prison-only-deepened-my-resolve-against-apartheid-even/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [But I think I'm on track to do something even bigger. I liberate minds with my music. That's more important than liberating a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/but-i-think-i-m-on-track-to-do-something-even-bigger-i-liberate-minds/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [The mistake the apartheid government made was they gave the black people nothing, so they had nothing to lose. But now a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-smith/the-mistake-the-apartheid-government-made-was-they-gave-the-black/) [Wilbur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-smith/) > [HEAVEN: The big apartheid in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-appleman/heaven-the-big-apartheid-in-the-sky/) [Philip Appleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-appleman/) > [I have no doubt that in the future, the laws that criminalize human love and commitment will look the way the apartheid laws do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/i-have-no-doubt-that-in-the-future-the-laws-that-criminalize-human/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [My life had been defined by the apartheid years. Now we were going into an era of democracy... and I believed that I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athol-fugard/my-life-had-been-defined-by-the-apartheid-years-now-we-were-going-2/) [Athol Fugard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athol-fugard/) > [The violence associated with the A.N.C. is minimal, infinitesimal next to the violence of the apartheid regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-tambo/the-violence-associated-with-the-a-n-c-is-minimal-infinitesimal-next/) [Oliver Tambo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-tambo/) > [Imagine if your kids had to carry a ladder to climb an apartheid wall to get to school everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-suleiman/imagine-if-your-kids-had-to-carry-a-ladder-to-climb-an-apartheid-wall/) [Omar Suleiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-suleiman/) > [The private schools and the independent schools like Oprah's are really doing well because they've got the best of everything but it certainly puts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlayne-hunter-gault/the-private-schools-and-the-independent-schools-like-oprah-s-are/) [Charlayne Hunter-Gault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlayne-hunter-gault/) [Browse all 299 Apartheid quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apartheid/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I thought that, post-apartheid, there would be absolutely no interest in South Africa. 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