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Join Cato Pedder, author of Moederland, and Edwina Peart of Quakers in Britain as they discuss racial justice and the legacies of apartheid.

Join Cato Pedder, author of Moederland: Nine Daughters of South Africa and media officer for Quakers in Britain, and Edwina Peart, inclusion and diversity co-ordinator for Quakers in Britain, as they discuss racial justice and the charged legacies of apartheid in Friends House Library.

Published on 25 April 2024, Moederland is an exploration of the roots and legacies of apartheid seen through the deeply personal lens of a great-granddaughter of South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts, the world statesman who wrote legislation which enabled apartheid.

Following a short reading from Moederland, Cato Pedder and Edwina Peart will discuss themes including empire, colonialism, racism, guilt and culpability as explored in the book, which weaves together the stories of nine of Pedder’s female ancestors in an unusual history of South Africa.

These ancestors begin in 1652 with Krotoa, a Khoikhoi girl who becomes a translator to the newly arrived Dutch East India Company at the Cape.

Moving through slaves, settlers, and nascent Afrikaners, they feature Cato Smuts, who leaves South Africa to marry into the Quaker Clark family, and Petronella Clark, who marries across the colour line and is forced to live in exile in Lesotho, her mixed-race children both illegal and illegitimate under apartheid law.

The conversation will include a question-and-answer session, after which you will be welcome to join us for refreshments in the Quaker bookshop where copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/race-and-responsibility-in-south-africa-tickets-872646879307 

We are delighted to welcome, on the 25th of January, the Dr Maggie Brookes and the Professor Farah Mendlesohn for a talk at Friends House library about the extraordinary story of untrained volunteers who saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.

Novelist Dr Maggie Brookes and historian Professor Farah Mendlesohn will discuss the astonishing bravery of men and women who set off into a dangerous war zone to save the lives of children on both sides of the brutal Spanish Civil War. Their actions contributed to the Quakers being given the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1947 and set precedents for many humanitarian aid missions since.

Maggie's novel 'Acts of Love and War' was inspired by Farah's PhD. They will discuss the methods of research for academic work and fiction, and the roles of each in disseminating this groundbreaking and important humanitarian work.

As a special treat, Dr. Maggie Brookes and Professor Farah Mendlesohn will be open to questions and signing session.

Event Details:

Date: 25th January 2024

Time: 18:00 - 19:00 GMT

Venue: Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ

This is a rare opportunity to witness the convergence of history and fiction, offering a rich tapestry of knowledge, inspiration, and admiration for the unsung heroes who shaped the course of history.

Reserve HERE your free spot now for an evening that promises to be both enlightening and unforgettable.