Conclusion and Afterthoughts

Abstract

While there is a body of literature focusing on children’s literature in a more general sense in South Africa, little direct attention has been paid to works of young adult literature. This gap in available writing prompted the writing of this book, in the hope of making the available literature more visible and highlighting its value in both a literary and educational context. I also started out from the conviction that young adult literature would reflect the changes taking place in a society undergoing extensive reorganisation and reconstruction from the beginnings of the end of apartheid in the 1980s through to twenty years after the first democratic elections in the country. This was confirmed during the course of the study. I hope that this study will prove to be an invaluable resource for future researchers and that it will stimulate further discussion and academic research. One striking conclusion that has emerged is the richness and literary value of the novels produced by South African authors, and the wealth of texts available to those working in schools and tertiary institutions in South Africa and elsewhere.