STANLEY BEKKER EN DIE BOIKOT (1980) - First Afrikaans Children's Book to be Banned

Publisher's illustrated card wraps. 48pp. Illustrations in text.

John Miles is an award winning Afrikaans author and poet who co-founded the publishing firm TAURUS. His Afrikaans children's book Stanley Bekker en die Boikot (Stanley Bekker and the Boycott) appeared in 1980 as a commentary on the inferior education system for non-white children during the Apartheid era.

The story takes place somewhere in the late seventies, during the nationwide school boycotts, and events are described as seen through the eyes of Stanley Bekker, a naive ten year old coloured boy who is in standard three at the local school. His innocent commentary and non-comprehension of the situation is a technique used by the author to emphasise the injustices suffered during this era. Stanley idolises his uncle, and as the story progresses it is implied that his uncle was in some way instrumental in the boycotts at his school. His uncle disappears and Stanley doesn't understand why his family members don't want to tell him where uncle Stan is. In the end Stanley decides that, when he grows up, he wants to become a teacher and an advocate, "I'll make laws and then we wouldn't have to go to prison. I want to start working so that I can find out what happened to uncle Stan."

This booklet was banned by the Apartheid government's Board of Censure shortly after publication. It was in fact considered to be such a dangerous political publication that not only were sales of the book banned, but OWNERSHIP of a copy was also prohibited and considered an offence.