Chasing Freedom

A rough Zimbabwean equivalent of Jung Chang’s Wild Swans … and Lea Ypi’s Free … skilfully fuse[s] his own story with the broader sweep of history … The writing is a pleasure … There is much pith … And bursts of revelation … The book’s awakening is universal, the discovery that our parents are not infallible … It is Chigudu’s twin existence that gives the book its depth … moving and highly readable – David Pilling * Financial Times *
Beautifully written … While the removal of a Cecil Rhodes statue from its plinth in Cape Town in 2015 always seemed both fitting and overdue, the attempt to extend the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ campaign to Oxford felt – to me, at least – like a case of arrogant overreach. I reassessed that view after reading Chigudu’s memoir, so convincingly does he convey how historic repression and inherited trauma worm their way into the mindsets of succeeding generations … Great biographers need to be both lacerating and humane: Chigudu certainly has those qualities … The even-handed empathy he displays throughout to all the players in his life’s story makes this a truly compelling read – Michela Wrong * Spectator *
Compelling … an elegant exploration of how political liberation does not always bring freedom for oneself … the burden of his generation’s inheritance is expressed most powerfully * Guardian *
A fascinating memoir, both intimate and epic, which will teach you more about the legacies of colonialism than a hundred op-eds, or a dozen textbooks – Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland
In this remarkable memoir, Simukai Chigudu unravels the meanings – both world-historical and personal – of colonialism, history and liberation. Chasing Freedom is a work of real power and beauty, as well as disarming truthfulness – Amia Srinivasan, author of The Right to Sex
Utterly captivating. Chasing Freedom is a finely observed, gripping account of growing up in Zimbabwe and building a life in Britain, told with such clarity and precision that I forgot I was reading – Dina Nayeri, author of The Ungrateful Refugee
A complicated, engrossing and, ultimately, brilliant portrait of a family navigating the minefields of the postcolonial world – Jonny Steinberg, author of Winnie and Nelson
Simukai Chigudu writes compellingly, lucidly and beautifully, weaving together his personal and family experiences with the history of his native Zimbabwe. An eye-opener – Zeinab Badawi, author of An African History of Africa
Deeply personal and moving. An unflinching account of the search for self amid the burdens of the past – Peter Godwin, author of When a Crocodile Eats the Sun
Simukai Chigudu seamlessly blends the history of African colonization and the jagged paths to independence with the story of his remarkable family. It is also the story of those for whom these massive global transformations were mere backdrops for growing up across continents and cultures – Louis Chude-Sokei, author of Floating In a Most Peculiar Way
Masterful. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the ways in which the legacies of empire ricochet through the generations – Aminatta Forna, author of The Devil That Danced on the Water
A deeply personal story told in a compelling manner * Morning Star *

Simukai Chigudu is associate professor of African politics at the University of Oxford and fellow of St. Antony’s College. He was previously a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. He is one of the founding members of Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford, a campaign to decolonize the university - and remove the statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College.

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