Description
An exceptional opportunity to acquire a near-complete run of Bolt, one of South Africa’s most significant—yet short-lived—small-press literary journals of the early 1970s. Published out of Durban by the University of Natal’s Literary Society between 1970 and 1975, Bolt served as a vital, independent platform for contemporary South African poetry, fiction, and biting literary criticism during a period of intense state censorship.
While originally established with an apolitical mandate to prioritize “literary excellence,” the journal ultimately captured the shifting, turbulent undercurrents of the era, paving the way for the seminal protest literature magazines that followed later in the decade.
This collection offers an invaluable look into the genesis of 1970s South African literature, featuring early and significant contributions, reviews, and poetry from icons such as: Alan Paton, Oswald Mtshali, Mongane Wally Serote, Douglas Livingstone, Christopher Hope, and Peter Strauss
The set includes Vol. 1, No. 1 (Debut issue, Jan/Feb 1970) through to the final publications, missing only issues No. 4 and No. 11. Copies are in Very Good / Vintage condition. The iconic green cover of Issue #1 is crisp with vibrant color. Minor age-toning and light shelf wear to the spines and edges of the later cream/brown issues, consistent with age, but text blocks remain clean.
A scarce and highly collectible archive, perfect for serious collectors of South African poetry, small-press print media, or academic institutions looking to fill a gap in their historical literary archives.
