A presentation, showcasing a performance from Jabulile Dladla, a former member of the award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, and a reading and discussion of When Morning Comes - a fictional retelling of the Soweto Uprising, seen through the eyes of very different teens.

These presentations would be followed by a joint panel discussion that could cover the potential following discussion points:

• The value of fictional portrayals of historical social movements, and the value of youth fiction in particular?
  
• Observations of growing up during apartheid and post-apartheid
• The parallels and differences of the Soweto Youth Uprising to current social justice movements (e.g. Black Lives Matter)?
  
• The aesthetic of creating art with social consciousness - should art aim to explicitly teach, or merely observe?

Book Reviews

When Morning Comes is a debut novel, aimed at Young Adults. Publisher’s Weekly says “Raina’s story powerfully demonstrates the high stakes of the teenagers’ choices while maintaining a bracing pace that builds steady tension…A riveting and accomplished debut.” Kirkus described the book as a “…timely reminder of the power and passion of young people contextualizes current student protests by honoring those of the past…”

Presenters

Arushi Raina grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa. So far, She's also lived in Egypt, Nigeria, India, the US, UK, and most recently, Canada. Her debut novel, When Morning Comes, was released July of 2016. She likes intricate plots, flawed characters, chases, escapes, and sentences that  make you stop and wonder. Arushi enjoys travelling, arguments, and long car rides. She graduated from Vassar College, NY, with a degree in English and Economics.

Jabulile Dladla is a former member of the Grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir, and has shared the stage with greats including Queen and U2. Originally from South Africa, she spent a decade travelling around the world with Choir. She now lives in Vancouver. 

Yasin Misago grew up in Uganda, Rwanda and mostly in Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi. He holds a BA in Political Science and International Relations from UBC. He is a youth human rights educator, human rights activist, public speaker. He is the Founder and Executive Director of African Descent Society in BC.