Description
Songs of the Veld and Other Poems is a facsimile reissue of the original 1902 New Age Press publication, accompanied by extensive introductory notes by Marthinus van Bart that place the work within its political and historical context. This rare collection of pro-Boer protest poetry, first published in the British literary magazine The New Age, is made available in South Africa again for the first time.
The poems emerged from a liberal, anti-colonialist British milieu during the Anglo-Boer War and played a role in strengthening anti-war sentiment in Britain by drawing attention to the suffering of the civilian population. Due to reader demand, the poems were later published as a single volume, funded by subscriptions from 304 readers whose names appear in the original edition.
To protect contributors from prosecution under martial law, the names of South African authors were omitted at the time of publication. Identified contributors include C. Louis Leipoldt (in his first published poem, under the pseudonym FWB), Alice Greene, Betty Molteno, Anna Purcell, and Dr F.C. Kolbe. The book was banned in South Africa, and it is believed that no more than the original 304 subscription copies were produced, making it one of the rarest surviving publications related to the Anglo-Boer War.
This edition is the first reprint in over a century. Published in 2008 by journalist Marthinus van Bart, it features a bilingual introduction with detailed information on the publication history, author biographies, and historical background. The facsimile is based on an original copy held in the Stellenbosch University archives.
