Fanon Lives: 1925 – 1961

There’s a great new book out called “What Fanon Said: A Philosophical Introduction to his Life and Thought by CLP Padkos visitor [https://www.churchland.org.za/?page_id=3167] Lewis R Gordon. Ngugi wa Thiong’o has said of the book that “In the hands of Lewis Gordon, What Fanon Said becomes what Frantz Fanon says to us today. The book brings alive the revolutionary thought and practice of Fanon into the continuing struggles for structural economic, political, social and psychic transformations of our world.” (http://witspress.co.za/catalogue/what-fanon-said/) You can also see Lewis discussing the new book on CSPAN Book TV during April here: http://www.c-span.org/video/?325752-1/lewis-gordon-fanon-said). Lewis R Gordon offers a portrait of Martinican-turned-Algerian revolutionary psychiatrist and philosopher Frantz Fanon as an exemplar of “living thought” against forms of reason marked by colonialism and racism.

In this padkos mailing, we’re sharing a brief extract of what Fanon actually said in his seminal “Wretched of the Earth”.

Back in 2011, CLP marked the 50^th anniversary of Fanon’s death in a big way at the “Fanomenal Event”. In preparation for the event we put out a brief “Introduction to Fanon” in isiZulu and English. For those needing a quick orientation, we’re also attaching here the English text from that pamphlet. And finally there’s the short note that was prepared and shared after the “Fanomenal Event” and which is a good reminder of the amazing material circulated in the build-up as well as the exceptional interaction and discussions that went down on the day.