Dragons and doorstoppers

‘How do you take a 500-page ‘doorstopper’ of a PhD on a neglected chapter of local history, and turn it into something ready for public consumption?’ That’s the intro to one of the stories inside, and was just too good to paraphrase. It’s the same story, incidentally, that inspired this month’s cover concept.

Historian Dr Koni Benson enlisted the help of a writer/artist duo to create a six-part graphic novel on women’s resistance to the destruction of their shacks in Crossroads in 1998. The fourth part is hot off the press.

Speaking of hot, recently Emeritus Professor Heinz Rüther and his Zamani Project colleagues challenged the blazing Jordanian sun as they digitally mapped the ancient city of Petra. Literally carved out of a mountain, Petra was once a trade hub. It’s one of many heritage sites around the globe that Rüther and co have ‘preserved’ with their laser scanner. One of Zamani’s latest escapades involves digitally mapping the Atlantic slave trade – and this is where the spoilers end.
Read the full scoop on the Zamani Project.

Monday Monthly also remembers AC Jordan, who this year had the former Arts Block renamed in his honour. He was UCT’s first black African lecturer – and you can read more about AC Jordan.

We recognise the dismal crime stats, particularly concerning violence, released by the South African Police Services in September. The article mentions a sliver of research about homicide that’s taking place at UCT, in the context of a colloquium organised by the Safety and Violence Initiative.

What good is a newspaper with no dragons? Fair enough, dragons may be pushing it; but this month’s Conversations in Community profiles someone who races dragon boats – which is close enough, in our book. Waleda Salie, a departmental manager in the Department of Finance and Tax, races the row boats with her club, amaBele Belles, and a crew of fellow breast-cancer survivors. Waleda Salie talks camaraderie, strength and endurance – viva!

The Newsroom Team