[Sugarman] Johannesburg Mellon Workshop

Keith Breckenridge keith at breckenridge.org.za
Tue Feb 18 08:15:41 SAST 2014


Dear friends,

The 21 February deadline for sign-up for the Mellon funded workshop in
South Africa between May 5 and 17 approaches.   The registration form is
here <http://wiser.wits.ac.za/page/sugarman-workshop-1-registration>.   If
you'd like to join us, please take a moment now to complete it.

I want to remind people -- especially on the Michigan side -- that this
collaboration is not restricted to those doing work on Africa, or South
Africa.   We are keen to establish scholarly linkages with those who do
not.

A note on how this will all work.   For the first five days we will have
workshops hosted (and, I hope, co-hosted) by individuals on problems and
readings in the broad area of producing theory from the South.   On the
Wits side, Achille Mbembe, Isabel Hofmeyr, Dilip Menon, and Sarah Nuttall
have indicated their willingness to take this on (after some bullying!)
I'm also talking to others in Sociology and Architecture, where very
interesting work is being done on this here at Wits.   We are especially
keen to encourage collaboration on these workshops so please do indicate if
you can see a comparative question or possible collaboration.

We will then go away from Johannesburg to write for three days.   Wits
Rural is not available this year -- the campus is undergoing extensive
renovations.   And my sense is that a smaller group will be interested in
going away from the cities.   I'm thinking that we should go somewhere
comfortable -- so I have booked rooms for May 11 to 14 at the Bakubung
Lodge in the Pilanesberg, which is both part of an especially beautiful
game reserve and close to the Platinum belt.   The area has a very
interesting 19th and the 20th century history (those with a taste for the
surreal will be pleased to know that it is close to Sun City).  This would
give us an opportunity to relax and write, and also to learn in some detail
about the mines and the people that live around them.   Bakubung is not
cheap, so we may have to put a limit on the numbers and select people on a
first signed up, first accommodated basis.

Finally, while our main goal is to bring Michigan faculty for this event,
we are also keen to invite others.  So if you have names of people who are
especially interested in this problem, and on visiting South Africa this
year, do let me know.

Many thanks, Keith

-- 
Keith Breckenridge  *W I S E R* - The Wits Institute for Social and
Economic Research, University of the Witwatersrand | Pbag 3, PO Wits,
 Johannesburg, South Africa, 2050 | Tel: +27117174272  | Fax: 0867654213 |
Web: wiser.wits.ac.za
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