A Human Being Died That Night

Winner of the 2024 Templeton Prize

“The story of an almost unimaginable dialogue…an exploration of evil, innocence, and the gray spaces in between.”—New York Times

“A startlingly personal account…written with clarity, energy, and enormous empathy”—Washington Post

A Mariner Books Classic

Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, internationally reknowned for her understanding of violent histories and transgenerational trauma, recounts an extraordinary dialogue. As her book opens, in an act of inescapable symbolism and psychological courage, she enters Pretoria’s maximum security prison to meet Eugene de Kock, called “Prime Evil” for his role as killing machine for South Africa’s Apartheid regime. What follows is a journey into what it means to be human.

In arresting scenes, Gobodo-Madikizela, who grew up in a Black township during apartheid South Africa, conveys her struggle with contradictory impulses to hold de Kock accountable and to forgive. Ultimately, she allows us to witness his extraordinary awakening of conscience.

The author’s profound understanding of the language and memory of violence, and of the searingly complex issues surrounding apology and forgiveness after mass atrocity, have left a mark on international scholarship and on our emotional lives.  

How does one confront the architect of apartheid’s atrocities—and find the empathy to see his humanity?
A Dialogue with "Prime Evil": Step inside Pretoria’s maximum security prison for the unforgettable conversations between the author and Eugene de Kock, the head of apartheid’s death squad.The Psychology of Evil: A professional psychologist’s exploration of how ordinary people become perpetrators of state-sponsored terror, and whether a monster can rediscover his conscience.A Victim’s Empathy: The author grapples with her own history as a Black South African, navigating the stunning paradox of feeling compassion for the man who enforced her oppression.Beyond Retribution: An essential investigation into the difficult questions of justice, apology, and reconciliation in the aftermath of mass atrocity.