Peter Abrahams Collection

Peter Abrahams was born in Vrededorp, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa on March 19, 1919. Abrahams was a Coloured South African who lived most of his life in Jamaica and grew to become a respected novelist, journalist and critic of the apartheid regime. Abrahams’ writings took him across France, London and back to South Africa and Kenya to report on the colour situation. In 1957, Abrahams long and lasting bond with Jamaica was formed when he was commissioned by the Colonial Office to write on Jamaica’s popular history and by 1959, he moved his family to live in Jamaica. Abrahams was described as a “...distinguished immigrant...” by George Panton in his 1975 Arts Profile Gleaner series, determined to deliver works of top quality and high impact in each publication or radio broadcast. Abrahams maintained his Trans-Atlantic connections, and this is evidenced by correspondence with members of the South African political sphere and fellow journalists. Within the Abrahams papers, the voice of an astute social and political commentator, impassioned Pan-Africanist and renowned novelist resonates