Jeff Peires
The Lovedale Press: Literature for the Bantu Revisited
Rhodes University
fact mass vernacular literature published past emanated still today emanates missionary presses naturally literature sought fulfil aims missionary societies special features written vernacular history specific category african historical documentation still await general theoretical analysis article makes attempt remedy deficiency considers two possible hypotheses relationship xhosa traditional historians lovedale press 1930s first cf vansina oral traditions affected mode transmission second cf goody watt one thing literate quite another find publisher perhaps first printed work xhosa stoiclooking cow bestriding legend cattle come god appeared 1823 writer rev john bennie glasgow missionary society printing done chumie mission station shortly renamed lovedale time lovedale remained focal point literate christian culture emerged among xhosa south africas eastern cape primacy reinforced 1915 south african native college fort hare established nearby chairmanship principal lovedale lovedale press flourished along host institution available estimates indicate january 1939 238 books produced xhosa african language except swahili