Jonny Steinberg, a South African writer and author of "Winnie & Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage," explores the tumultuous relationship between Nelson and Winnie Mandela. He discusses their love story intertwined with the apartheid struggle, marked by infidelity and separation during Nelson's imprisonment. Steinberg highlights the emotional turmoil of Mandela's release, Winnie’s political resurgence post-divorce, and the lasting legacy of their marriage in modern South Africa, reflecting on how their personal challenges shaped their public personas.
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Genesis of the Book
Jonny Steinberg initially intended to write a biography solely about Nelson Mandela.
He shifted to a dual biography after discovering Mandela's complex letters to Winnie from prison.
insights INSIGHT
Unique Archive
Steinberg accessed a unique archive of recorded conversations between Nelson and Winnie during prison visits.
This archive revealed Winnie's personality and the complexities of their marriage under pressure.
insights INSIGHT
Marriage as a Political Tool
The Mandelas consciously used their glamorous image and relationship as a political tool.
They understood their marriage could symbolize the struggle and aspirations of Black South Africans.
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This book is a detailed and empathetic portrait of the complex marriage between Winnie and Nelson Mandela. It delves into their shared and divisive approaches to transforming South Africa’s unjust political system, as well as the personal struggles, love, and obsessions that characterized their relationship. Steinberg’s work is based on extensive research, including archives, interviews, and previously unseen transcripts of conversations between Winnie and Nelson during prison visits. The book provides an insightful history of the fight against apartheid and the emotional strains within the Mandela marriage under enormous political pressure.
Nelson and Winnie Mandela were one of the most famous couples of the 20th century. Their relationship became a powerful symbol of the freedom struggle in apartheid South Africa, but it was also dogged by infidelity, violence, Nelson's long imprisonment and the oppressive weight of the regime they fought against. In Jonny Steinberg's recent book, Winnie & Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage, the South African writer chronicles a tragic love story that was both personal and deeply political. The book has recently been shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize and Rob Attar caught up with Jonny to find out more.
(Ad) Jonny Steinberg is the author of Winnie & Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage. Buy it now from Amazon:
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