The Other Side of Truth, Beverley Naidoo

The Other Side of Truth, Beverley Naidoo

Objectives:

 get to know the author and her novels

 learn about South Africa

 learn about Nigeria

 learn about the social and historical context of the novel

 learn about Ken Saro-Wiwa

1. Beverley Naidoo

You can visit :

or go to

or

Born in [country] ______

Born in [date] ______

Occupations [former or current] ______

______

Grew up under [political regime in South Africa] ______

Was detained at 21 because ______

First book ______published in ______

Wrote first two books in exile in [country] ______

Reasons for exile: ______

Was able to go back to South Africa after ______’s liberation

Currently lives in [town, country] ______

Wrote [novels and dates] ______

______

______

Book that made a strong impression on her as a child: ______

2. South Africa under apartheid

You can visit or search on Wikipedia.

Etymology and meaning of “apartheid”: ______

In [country] ______

From ______to ______

Impact on black people’s everyday lives: ______

______

______

______

First president after apartheid: ______

Current president: ______

3. Nigeria

Visit

Capital: ______

Population: ______

Area: ______sq miles or

______km2

(______times the size of France)

Currency: ______

Religions (%): ______

______

Before independence, Nigeria was ruled by ______-

Information about General Abacha: ______

______

______

______

End of military rule in ______

First president: ______

Current president: ______

4. Ken Saro-Wiwa

Visit

Born in [region, country] ______in [date] ______

Occupations: ______

What is Ogoni? ______

Reasons why he opposed the Nigerian government: ______

______

______

Reasons why he opposed the oil companies: ______

______

______

Died in [date] ______

Circumstances of death: ______

Official reason for arrest and execution: ______

______

Real reasons: ______

______

Visit

What is Shell? ______

What is it accused of? ______

______

The Other Side of Truth, Beverley Naidoo

1990

Around the novel

Have good look at your book (front cover, back cover, foreword, etc.) and answer the following questions. You may have to look on the web for some answers.

The book was awarded the ______and the ______.

Be prepared to talk about the front coverof the book (drawing, colours, tag line, etc.)

What do you think about the summary on the back cover? Does it make you want to read the book? Why (not)? Write a few notes. Be prepared to report to the group.

______

______

The book is in memory of ______, a boy from ______. He was born in ______. He left his country in ______with his mother and sister so his sister could get ______in England. He was brutally ______by ______as he was heading home after school. He was aged ______.

There is also a quotation by ______who was a famous ______

______.

Be prepared to give your own interpretation of the quotation to the class.

Given the titleof the novel and the quotation, what will probably be the main theme of the novel?

______

 There is also a foreword written by ______, TV presenter of the [channel] ______news. He says key themes in TOSOTinclude ______, ______and ______.

 In the acknowledgements section, the author ______the people who have helped her or given her precious information or support while she was writing the book.

 The book also includes a pronunciation guideand a glossary of words in ______that she sometimes uses.

 In the section “Author’s note”, Beverley Naidoo stresses the fact that the characters in the story are not ______although there are some references to real-life figures: ______, ______and ______.