Renaissance Writing

What is a renaissance? This title examines the phenomenon of a cultural re-birth. What causes a society suddenly to review and re-shape its identity and future is an exciting and galvanising thrust which has brought South Africa out from utter isolation to participation in the world community. The stress and advancement of such radical growth has caused many South Africans to call for a complete African renaissance. By investigating the English Renaissance, one detectes elements that are crucial to an appreciation and energetic deployment of the term. The island people of England had to adapt to a new world vision and reassess their place in a new environment of societal upheaval and religious revolution. How to make the most of the challenge of a renaissance and how to avoid some of the pitfalls, is the scope of this exciting new volume. The renaissance takes on a new focus by means of the African context and contemporary scholarly insights.