An Interview with Peter Abrahams: Custodian and Conscience of the Pan-African Movement (Interview‪)‬

Abstract This article seeks to document aspects of the life and philosophy of Peter Abrahams, a significant figure of the Pan-African movement since the 1940s. It contains a general overview providing readers with the South African writer's background, exposing his political contributions to the movement in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. The centrepiece of the article is the presentation of an interview with Abrahams conducted by the author on 20 July 2004 at Abrahams' home, Coyaba, in the hills of St. Andrew, Jamaica, where he lives with his wife Daphne. The interview, which was released to mark Abrahams' 90th birthday in 2008, documents his distinctive insights on a Pan-African movement in which he played a leading, if now under-appreciated role. This article assembles the life story and reflections of an icon, elucidating his worldview and perspectives on momentous occurrences in the processes of African and Caribbean decolonisation. Abrahams' continuing role is as the political 'conscience' of the movement, given creative expression through his works as a literary icon. His analyses and the rich dialogue shared with the author contribute to a deeper understanding of the forces that fashioned the African and Caribbean struggle against colonialism and for political independence in the two regions.