Simon Houlding

Pieces of Africa Simon Houlding

I grew up in an Africa that was struggling with the demise of colonialism and the birth of African nationalism and independence. Pieces of Africa describes incidents and events in these turbulent times that have stuck in my memory and helped to shape my life. Some of the pieces are short stories, others are only a page or two in length. Some focus on nature topics, others have more of a political/social flavour. Collectively they define my perceptions of life in Africa. Later in life, after emigrating to Canada, I made a point of getting back to Africa as frequently as possible. The collection ends with contributions from this latter period that provide commentary on the African evolution. Dusting off my memories and writing these pages brought home to me just how fortunate I was to have grown up as a white boy in Africa, to experience both the tail end of the colonial era and the new beginnings of African independence. There will never be another time and place like it.