Nat Nakasa
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Ndazana Nakasa (b. 1937 d. 1965) better known as Nat Nakasa was a South Africa
n short story
writer
and journalist
.
He was born in Durban
but moved to Johannesburg
to work as a journalist for Drum magazine. He also worked for the Golden City Post and was the first black journalist to work at the Rand Daily Mail where he provided a black perspective for the newspaper’s predominantly white readership.
He soon realised that black writers had very few creative outlets and so founded a literary journal The Classic. Can Themba
a fellow Drum journalist was a contributor to this.
During this time he also worked closely with Nadine Gordimer
.
He was awarded a Niemann Fellowship in 1964 to study journalism at Harvard College
in the USA. However, the apartheid government rejected his application for a passport. As a result, he was forced to leave South Africa on an exit permit which meant that he could not return.
Nakasa soon found that racism existed in America as well, albeit more subtle.
Nakasa didn't like New York
and soon moved to Cambridge
where he spent his time at Harvard steeped in the somber business of education.
Although he learnt a lot, he was isolated and became homesick.
He became depressed at being exiled and died after a fall from a high rise building in New York
.
His death by suicide was an apartheid tragedy, and a tragedy of exile. He wrote articles for several newspapers after leaving Harvard, appeared in the television film The Fruit of Fear and was planning to write a biography of Miriam Makeba
. But two days before his death he told a friend, I can't laugh anymore and when I can't laugh I can't write.
As it was not possible to bring his body home, he was buried at the Ferncliff
cemetery in upstate New York.
A headstone placed by the Nieman Foundation 30 years later simply reads:
The Print Media Association, the South African Nieman Alumni, and the South African National Editors' Forum subsequently established an annual award for courageous journalism, which is named after him.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
He was born in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
but moved to Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
to work as a journalist for Drum magazine. He also worked for the Golden City Post and was the first black journalist to work at the Rand Daily Mail where he provided a black perspective for the newspaper’s predominantly white readership.
He soon realised that black writers had very few creative outlets and so founded a literary journal The Classic. Can Themba
Can Themba
-Overview:He was born in Marabastad, near Pretoria, but wrote most of his work in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, South Africa before it was destroyed under the provisions of the apartheid Group Areas Act....
a fellow Drum journalist was a contributor to this.
During this time he also worked closely with Nadine Gordimer
Nadine Gordimer
Nadine Gordimer is a South African writer and political activist. She was awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature when she was recognised as a woman "who through her magnificent epic writing has – in the words of Alfred Nobel – been of very great benefit to humanity".Her writing has long dealt...
.
He was awarded a Niemann Fellowship in 1964 to study journalism at Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
in the USA. However, the apartheid government rejected his application for a passport. As a result, he was forced to leave South Africa on an exit permit which meant that he could not return.
Nakasa soon found that racism existed in America as well, albeit more subtle.
Nakasa didn't like New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and soon moved to Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
where he spent his time at Harvard steeped in the somber business of education.
Although he learnt a lot, he was isolated and became homesick.
He became depressed at being exiled and died after a fall from a high rise building in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
His death by suicide was an apartheid tragedy, and a tragedy of exile. He wrote articles for several newspapers after leaving Harvard, appeared in the television film The Fruit of Fear and was planning to write a biography of Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba , nicknamed Mama Africa, was a Grammy Award winning South African singer and civil rights activist....
. But two days before his death he told a friend, I can't laugh anymore and when I can't laugh I can't write.
As it was not possible to bring his body home, he was buried at the Ferncliff
Ferncliff Cemetery
Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum is located on Secor Road in the hamlet of Hartsdale, town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, about 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. It was founded in 1902, and is non-sectarian...
cemetery in upstate New York.
A headstone placed by the Nieman Foundation 30 years later simply reads:
The Print Media Association, the South African Nieman Alumni, and the South African National Editors' Forum subsequently established an annual award for courageous journalism, which is named after him.
Books
- The World of Nat Nakasa : selected writings of the late Nat Nakasa / edited by Essop Patel ; with an introduction by Nadine Gordimer, Ravan Press, 1971, ISBN 0-86-975050-X
See also
- Good-looking Corpse: World of Drum - Jazz and Gangsters, Hope and Defiance in the Townships of South Africa, Mike Nicol, Secker & Warburg, 1991, ISBN 0-43-630986-6