Stories from a Diamond Mine
By John Lincoln
(published by the author, tel: 082 551 6089, [email protected])
A self-published book evokes in me an ambivalent response. On the one hand, one applauds the entrepreneurship that goes into its production; on the other, one regrets the absence of expert input, with the almost inevitable conse-quences this entails. Kind friends are persuaded to help to edit the book without understanding that this calls for professional skills. The result in this case: two spelling mistakes – velt and Vereniging – on the very first page of text!
Stories from a Diamond Mine is about the Premier Mine and the village of Cullinan. The author has done well to amass interesting archival and anecdotal material and good-quality pictures to enhance his text.
A weakness, however, is the invisibility of black people except as anonymous labourers – or even “boys” to be evangelised.
In part this shortcoming is attributable to the historically determined silence of the archive, but a recent history of Wakkerstroom, The Jewel of Mpumalanga by Hoffie Hofmeyr and Krystyna Smith, published by Mediakor, is a good example of how this can be overcome.
The format of the book is attractive – and for those associated with the mine and the village it is excellent value at R180. – John Boje