Bookended by two unspeakable tragedies, the suicide of a mother and of a son, Letters to my mother offers one of the most compelling accounts yet of the making of an antiapartheid activist.’ – Jonathan D. Jansen

‘Through his vulnerable remembering, he shows us that when we are ready, we must face ourselves and our untold stories.’ – Siphokazi Jonas

‘Once you’ve read this book you will never be the same again.’ – Noel Daniels, CEO Cornerstone Institute

This is more than a book.
This is a blazing voyage.

Growing up in apartheid-era Chatsworth, Kumi Naidoo tells how his mother’s suicide when he was just 15 years old acted as a catalyst for his journey into radical action against the apartheid regime. In this revelatory and intimate story, Kumi describes his political awakening, and his experiences as a young community organiser and underground ANC activist during the 1980s. His grief and anger became fuel for his efforts to help liberate South Africa and to build a better world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kumi Naidoo has been a troublemaker for over forty years. A former Secretary General of Amnesty International and former Executive Director of Greenpeace International, he has become a global figure in progressive social movements worldwide. He now serves as Special Advisor to the Green Economy Coalition and Senior Advisor to the Community Arts Network. He is the host of the Power, People and Planet podcast where he is joined by activists, artists and community leaders who are seeking to build a more sustainable future. He is currently a visiting Fellow at Oxford University, an Honorary Fellow of Magdalen College, and Professor of Practice at Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University.

Letters to My Mother: The Making of a Troublemaker is published by Jacana Media