LONG WALK TO FREEDOM
By Nelson Mandela
Long Walk to Freedom is an autobiography written by Nelson Mandela published in English in 1994, in Italian the following year. It describes the South African President ‘s life: from his early age, his education to his twenty-seven years spent on the infamous Robben Island, the prison where he was closed, charged with terrorism as a leader of the then-outlawed ANC (African National Congress). The last chapters of the book are about his political ascension, and his support to the struggle against apartheid. The book is dedicated to his children and grandchildren and to all men “[…]friends and fellow South Africans whom I serve and whose courage, determination and patriotism remain my source of inspiration.” The long walk is the walk of his black people towards freedom, for the dignity of every human being. In 2013 the book was adapted into a film – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom – by director Justin Chadwick, starring Idris Elba as Mandela.
THE AUTHOR
Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), first black President of South Africa and leader of the African National Congress (ANC), was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1993) for his struggle on support of the African people’s rights and against Apartheid. During his twenty-seven years imprisonment, he wrote a long autobiographical book, Long Walk to Freedom, published in Italy in 1995. Among his other writings are The Struggle is My Life (1990) and Favorite African Folktales (2004).