Ntsiko (1850–1918) wrote under the pseudonym ‘Hadi waseluhlangeni’, the National Harp. This volume contains two substantial essays, by Marguerite Poland and Jeff Opland, that offer an account, for the first time, of Ntsiko’s life and times, his early schooling in Grahamstown, his three years of study in England, his ordination as a deacon in the Anglican Church and his ten-year career in church service, ending abruptly in the termination of his license. Thereafter, he grew progressively blind and ended his working life serving the magistrate in the rural village of Tsolo.

This book assembles for the first time all the clearly identifiable writings of Ntsiko in English and in Xhosa: journals, narrative and lyrical poetry, obituaries, and polemical articles on the bible translation, politics, and church affairs. It seeks to claim recognition for him as a major voice in the history of Xhosa literature, an outspoken social critic, and a leading intellectual in the early formulation of African nationalism.

ISBN: 978 1 86914 527 9
Year of publication: 2023
Publisher: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press
Link: Hadi Waseluhlangeni: Collected writings