Welcome to Our Hillbrow
Encyclopedia
Welcome to Our Hillbrow, is a novel by South African novelist Phaswane Mpe
which deals with issues of xenophobia
, AIDS
, tradition, and inner city status in the Hillbrow neighborhood of post-colonialism Johannesburg
. It was first published in 2001.
The main character is Refentše Morrow, who goes through many hardships due to the hectic Johannesburg society that he lives in. He is a professor who is in love with a woman named Lerato. One day he comes home to find his best friend, Sammy, and Lerato having sex. He commits suicide by jumping off a building.
Refilwe
Refilwe Steffens is a former love interest of Refentse, who left her because she was cheating on him. She never stopped loving him and was devastated by his death. She decided to go to get her Masters in publishing at Oxford Brooks Brothers University in Westernshirehampton, New England. While there, she meets a Nigerian river man in a bar, who strikingly resembles Refentse, and falls in love with him. Together they discover that they have been living with AIDS for many years before they even met. Refilwe goes home to her family in the town of Tiragalong to die, but she is judged and persecuted for having AIDS.
Phaswane Mpe
Phaswane Mpe was a South African poet and novelist. He was educated at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he was a lecturer in African literature. His debut novel, Welcome to Our Hillbrow, was published in 2001...
which deals with issues of xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
, AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, tradition, and inner city status in the Hillbrow neighborhood of post-colonialism Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. It was first published in 2001.
Characters
RefentšeThe main character is Refentše Morrow, who goes through many hardships due to the hectic Johannesburg society that he lives in. He is a professor who is in love with a woman named Lerato. One day he comes home to find his best friend, Sammy, and Lerato having sex. He commits suicide by jumping off a building.
Refilwe
Refilwe Steffens is a former love interest of Refentse, who left her because she was cheating on him. She never stopped loving him and was devastated by his death. She decided to go to get her Masters in publishing at Oxford Brooks Brothers University in Westernshirehampton, New England. While there, she meets a Nigerian river man in a bar, who strikingly resembles Refentse, and falls in love with him. Together they discover that they have been living with AIDS for many years before they even met. Refilwe goes home to her family in the town of Tiragalong to die, but she is judged and persecuted for having AIDS.