







































Emerging Perspectives 
ep.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca 
 
 

Review of the book Transition and Transgression - English Young Adult Fiction in 
Post-Apartheid South Africa 

 

by Judith Inggs 

Johannesburg, South Africa: Springer Briefs in Education, 2016, 120 pages 

ISBN 978-3-319-25534-7(Paperback) 
Reviewed by  

Diali Gupta 

University of Calgary 

 

Gupta, D. (2017). [Review of the book Transition and transgression - English young 
adult fiction in post-apartheid South Africa, by J. Inggs]. Emerging Perspectives, 

3(3), 5-7. 

 
Transition and Transgression – English Young Adult Fiction in Post-Apartheid South 

Africa is an effort by Judith Inggs to counter the dearth of information on English literature for 

youth in South Africa. As an intended resource for educators, teachers and researchers, the book 
is written with the underlying premise that “literature for young adults often illustrates and 

reflects changes taking place in society” (p. 1). Emphasizing how young adults view societal 

institutions that affect their lives and how they negotiate and identify themselves with respect to 

positions of power, the author provides relevant titles and content of literary texts as examples, 

while critically analyzing their value from an educational perspective. As most South African 
English literature is produced internationally, the richness and the depth of this book is brought 

out through the author’s careful selection of literary works in English by a number of South 

African writers based on their merit. The selection specifically includes works that are 

contextually placed within the geographical boundaries of the country. The author’s pick of the 

books and novels are based on how the narratives highlight and project South African history 
and culture. It is easy to see that the author’s own writing is also guided by the history of the 

country as the chapters are organized through specific time periods or decades that have 

influenced and affected the literature produced in the country. Hence the structural organization 

of the content is by the historical time periods which have influenced the literary works of South 

African authors. In this connection, it is relevant to state that the structural organization of the 
chapters simultaneously takes into account specific themes of young adult literature (e.g. 

romance, fantasy, dystopia), which makes it easy for the readers to compare and comprehend the 

development of the themes and genres with a deeper insight into the progression of South 

African literature. 

The book takes the readers on a journey spanning three decades, commencing from a 
period of turmoil and unrest during the late 1970s and 80s through a period of disintegration of 

apartheid in the nineties (1989-1999). This is followed by the 2000s, which showcase the 

evolving contemporary lifestyle in the context of post-transitional South Africa. The progression 

of the chapters is through a continued focus on social issues that are either influenced by or are 

direct results of historical and political events in the country. The readers are able to experience 
the incidents through the author’s descriptions and direct citations of passages or quotes from 

books or texts that she has carefully chosen. Her lucid style of narration helps to highlight and 



Gupta / Emerging Perspectives (2019)    6 
 

reiterate the effect of the socio-political events on the youth and how that affects their day to day 

lives.  
In the first three chapters of the book, the author shows how these youth experiences are 

either direct or indirect results of racial segregation or imposed geographical boundaries that 

force the youth to rethink their identities, and their social relations with respect to the emergent 

changes in the social context. In the subsequent three chapters, she focuses on the adolescent 

subject during the post-apartheid period in South Africa that is marked by urbanization and 
globalization. Readers are able to relate to the usual problems of urban life and how that takes 

shape within a South African context through the vivid descriptions of the thoughts and feelings 

of the youth, particularly their aspirations, loathing and the constant search for identity as they 

get caught in webs of prejudice, crime and poverty. What makes the book particularly interesting 

is the analysis of power struggles highlighted through the author’s interpretations of the 
characters and the stories. This quality helps to categorize this book as a rich resource for 

educators or teachers of English literature and the social sciences.  

In keeping with the typical adolescent interests, the book also portrays realistic themes of 

sexuality and gender identity along with non-realistic themes of fantasy, myth, legend and 

horror, all of which have South African origin and reflect the culture and the history of the 
country. In dealing with realistic themes, the author does not merely critique and analyze power 

issues, but provides examples of a number of literary texts to emphasize the risks and negative 

effects associated with romantic relationships or sexuality.  Further, by drawing upon Foucault’s 

(1978) notion of disempowerment and sexuality as a discursive construct, the author points out 

how characters in the novels acquire social identities “as subjects constrained by accepted social 
practices and as agents able to resist such practices” (p. 66). The discursive constructs repeatedly 

reflect stereotypical gender roles. In this respect, the book is an invaluable resource that could be 

used for choosing books that would be relevant for discussions and debates in any classroom, 

particularly for generating awareness amongst youth.  

In dealing with fantasy fiction, horror novels and speculative fiction, the author also 
points out new developments, trends, and the loosening of constraints previously imposed on 

South African literature by socio-political conditions. The book concludes with a chapter on 

possible future societies, emphasizing the developments in dystopian fiction. Identifying 

totalitarian issues or themes of death within the novels, the author provides numerous examples 

of South African dystopias and post-apocalyptic situations.  
It is evident that prejudice and power struggles that mark identity development have 

remained a central theme in this book, although they are not necessarily linked with race or 

ethnic origins at all times. However, the book is an easy read given the overall structural 

organization of the chapters, each of which comes with an introduction or abstract where the 
author explains the themes she has noticed during her research and draws literary comparisons 

with works produced in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. She also attempts 

to underpin the theoretical as well as social or practical connections highlighting the changes 

brought in over time.  

The book is a valiant effort towards projecting a holistic and thematic unity in literature 
that has references to the geographical and ideological spaces of South Africa. The language is 

lucid and it is a recommended read for all literature aficionados.  In a broader context, 

exemplifying such identity development and power struggles in comparative studies with young 

adult English literature from other countries may prove beneficial to learning the history, culture 

and geography of a country. Educators, especially those in Canada, can use such resources to 



Gupta / Emerging Perspectives (2019)    7 
 

connect with Indigenous cultures in the study of English literature. As the author herself asserts, 

this book is meant to assist teachers initiate and incorporate discussion and debate of topics that 
are sometimes considered taboo in certain cultures. Such discussions may help influence 

adolescents to act responsibly and learn about tolerance. In a country like Canada, which takes 

pride in having a cultural mosaic, this book may be of great relevance in classrooms for 

facilitating open discussions and debate on adolescent issues, responsibilities, and tolerance. 

 

Reference 
Foucault, M. (1978). The history of sexuality: An introduction. New York: Random House. 


