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----Formal ----

Mating Birds is 'n roman geskryf deur Lewis Nkosi.

Alhoewel hy sy literêre loopbaan begin het gedurende die 1960's, het hy nie enige fiksie geskryf tot dekades later nie.

Mating Birds was sy eerste roman en dit is gepubliseer in 1983.

Dit het aan hom die Macmillan Silver Pen Prys besorg in 1986.

Die storie word vertel deur Ndi Sibiya, wat opgesluit is in die dodesel.

Dit begin terwyl hy nog 'n jong seun is.

Werkloos, swerf hy om die stad van Durban en beland uiteindelik op die strand, wat afgesonder is, aan die opponerende kant van die heining van die blanke deel van die strand.

Hy sien 'n wit meisie aan die ander kant van die heining en al praat hulle nooit nie, vind 'n soort speelse flirtasie plaas tussen hulle met verskeie ontmoetings aan teenoorgestelde kante van die heining.

As die twee ooit gevang word met hulle flirtasies, sou dit beteken dat hulle albei gearresteer sou word.

Na verskeie romantiese sessies tussen hulle, waartydens die meisie hom partymaal toegelaat het om haar kaal te sien, is hy sleepvoet agter haar aan toe sy na haar huis toe gaan.

Met aankoms daar het hulle omgang gehad, maar haar bure betrap hulle op heterdaad.

Selfs al was sy gewillig om seks met hom te hê, het sy hom beskuldig dat hy haar verkrag het.

Die meisie ontken sy bewerings dat hulle mekaar geken het en het hom weer beskuldig van verkragting.

Die wit regters het hom toerekeningsvatbaar bevind en die doodstraf opgelê.

Mating Birds het 'n twispunt veroorsaak en die gespanne aandag ontvang van kritici nadat dit vrygestel is.

Die New York Times het die roman een van 1986 se beste honderd boeke genoem.

----Formal English----

Mating Birds is a novel written by Lewis Nkosi.

Although he began his literary career during the 1960s, he did not write any fiction until decades later.

Mating Birds was his first novel, and it was published in 1983.

It won him the Macmillan Silver Pen Prize in 1986.

The story is recounted by Ndi Sibiya, who is confined on death row.

It starts while he was still a youth.

Unemployed, he drifts around the city of Durban and eventually ends up at the beach, which is segregated, on the opposing side of the fence from the white part of the beach.

He sees a white girl on the other side of the fence, and although they never speak, a sort of dalliance occurs between them over multiple liaisons on opposite sides of the fence.

If the two are ever caught in their flirtations, it would mean that they would both be imprisoned.

After several interludes between them, during which the girl sometimes allows him to see her naked, he traipsed along behind her as she went to her home.

Upon arriving there, they have intercourse, but her neighbors catch them in the act.

Even though she had been willing to have sex with him, she accused him of raping her.

The girl repudiates his claims that they knew each other and again accused him of rape.

The white judges find him culpable and hand down the death sentence.

Mating Birds caused a controversy and received the rapt attention of critics after it was released.

The New York Times called the novel one of 1986's best one-hundred books.

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