This week we will be joined by Bongani Ngqulunga (University of Johannesburg), who will be discussing his approach to doing biographical research in a politically contested environment. Bongani’s biography of Pixley ka Isaka Seme, the founder and President of the African National Congress (ANC), will act as a case study.
Biography:
Bongani Ngqulunga is the director of the Johannesburg Institute for Advanced Study (JIAS) at the University of Johannesburg. He previously worked at the Policy Unit in the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, and served as the Chief of Staff and spokesperson of the President. Bongani was educated at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and gained his doctoral degree from Brown University. He is the author of The Man Who Founded the ANC: A Biography of Pixley ka Isaka Seme, which won the 2018 Alan Paton Award and the 2019 Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) award for best non-fiction monograph.
The event will take place in St Luke's Chapel and lunch will be provided. If you have any questions, please email caine.lewin-turner@exeter.ox.ac.uk
