Description
Fading Footprints by José Manuel de Prada-Samper is part historical investigation, part memoir, tracing the author’s discovery of the folklore of the /xam San people of South Africa’s Upper Karoo. Prompted by a chance encounter with a rare book, De Prada-Samper follows the traces of the /xam through archival research and fieldwork, uncovering both the richness of their oral traditions and the tragic impact of European colonisation. The narrative examines the work of Victorian researchers who recorded the stories of San prisoners in Cape Town during the late 1800s, while also revealing that many of these tales persist among farm workers today.
Through this exploration, the book humanises the /xam and emphasises the resilience of South Africa’s first people, showing that their culture, memory, and stories endure despite historical attempts to erase them. Ideal for readers interested in Africana, indigenous studies, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
