Dark Testament. ABRAHAMS, Peter.

First edition, the author's first full-length publication, following newspaper articles and a short volume of poetry. Abraham's collection of short stories reflects on the injustices experienced by several marginalized groups and offers his characteristic hope for a harmonious society. Abrahams (1919-2017) had harboured an ambition to be a writer since his youth, much of which was spent in poverty. In 1939, having failed to find a publisher for Dark Testament in South Africa, he left for England on a freight ship. After spending two years working as a stoker, he arrived in London and immediately submitted the manuscript to Allen & Unwin. The reviewer for the Daily News commented that Abrahams "writes with great simplicity and his stories are of the kind that make for understanding and compassionate empathy" (p. 2), but he did not achieve major success until his 1946 novel Mine Boy. In due course, Abrahams became one of the 20th century's most influential and prominent South African authors, publishing 15 works, of which the major themes are "intraracial and interracial conflict, the possibilities for resolution of such conflict, and the chances for the transcendence of racism between black people and white people" (Davis). Jane Davis, "Peter Abrahams", EBSCO, 2022; Robert Lynd, "Books", Daily News (London), 2 November 1942. Octavo. Original orange cloth, spine lettered in black, top edge orange. With dust jacket. Extremities just rubbed, edges and contents lightly foxed; jacket price-clipped, a little soiled, occasional nicks and shallow chips to edges, short closed tears to head of spine, two lines of text neatly scored through on front flap: a very good copy in like jacket.