Writing what it felt like — Barry Gilder on memory, movement and making art in the struggle
At the Fire Hour stands as both tribute and testimony, a quiet but insistent record of what it meant to survive the storm and to still want to sing.
Barry Gilder's novel, At the Fire Hour, is a deeply layered reflection on loyalty, memory and what it costs to live a life split between political commitment and artistic longing.
In the book, we meet Bheki Makhathini, a South African writer and exile suspected of betraying the ANC. Suspicion clings to him. Was he a sellout? A spy?
This question is at the novel's quietly devastating core. Gilder uses this tension not only to explore personal betrayal but to reflect on the paranoia that haunted the liberation movement's underground networks.
Like Gilder, Bheki is a young creative who leaves South Africa in 1976 and goes into exile. He completes a creative writing master's degree in the UK, undergoes military training in Angola and the Soviet Union and returns home after the unbanning of the ANC.
His life and the novel become a meditation on the high stakes of political belonging. Fiction becomes a tool to wrestle with what it means to be doubted by your own comrades, and what is lost in that rupture.
But this is not simply a political thriller. It is also a love story, a story of creative loss and an intimate sketch of exile.
At the Fire Hour spans continents, mirroring the movement of activists scattered by apartheid. These spaces are rendered not as exotic backdrops, but as textured zones of struggle, reflection and belonging. Gilder, who lived through many of these dislocations, lends authenticity to these passages. Through Bheki's voice, he evokes the haunting uncertainty of displacement and the fragility of the revolutionary self.
There's an important strand in the book on surveillance and the psychological toll of being under suspicion.
The novel's emotional gravity lies not in action but in atmosphere: the loneliness of exile, the fragility of trust and the slow erosion of the self under constant doubt. Gilder does not absolve his characters easily. Instead, he allows the complexity of revolutionary life to settle in quietly, asking the reader to sit with uncertainty.
One of the most arresting sequences in the novel explores the brutal techniques of interrogation: Bheki is forced to stand on a brick for five hours, deprived of sleep for two days and nights, subjected to electric shocks on his testicles. These methods are not described for sensational effect, but as part of a system designed to fracture belief, to extract not only information, but ideological collapse.
Gilder documents how the body is targeted in the hope that the will might break, and how survival becomes a kind of guilt. In the aftermath of such violence, the doubts of comrades cut deeper. Was Bheki released because he cooperated? Or because they could not break him?
The anguish of this experience crystallises in a poem written by Bheki, inserted into the novel:
words do not slice skin shred flesh shatter bone dethrone dictators.
This tension is echoed in the novel's interplay between art and politics. Bheki, like Gilder, is torn between creative expression and the imperatives of the struggle.
'The more I got involved in the struggle, the fewer songs I wrote,' Gilder told me. 'Things got really hectic… writing reports to Lusaka, moving from safe house to safe house. Wally Serote was writing a novel during that time. I wasn't. I haven't written a song since the 1980s.'
Creativity became a casualty of the revolution. The silence was not chosen, but enforced by necessity.
Yet in fiction, he rediscovers voice.
The novel, which began as part of Gilder's PhD submission, is woven with poems and short stories written by Bheki, forming a narrative within a narrative.
'I kind of really enjoyed getting into his creative head,' Gilder said. 'It helps say things more concisely than one can in the narrative part of the book.' These insertions do more than embellish the story; they deepen it, giving texture to the private interiority that historical accounts so often flatten.
At the Fire Hour is also a commentary on the cultural politics of the ANC in exile. Gilder vividly reconstructs events like the Culture and Resistance Conference in Gaborone and Culture in Another South Africa in Amsterdam. These were not peripheral events; they were sites where politics and creativity met, where resistance was choreographed through poems, music and song.
Gilder was present at these gatherings. His fictionalisation of them pulses with insight and detail that only a participant could provide.
What makes this novel essential is not simply its storytelling, but its function as a historical intervention.
In a country still wrestling with the afterlives of struggle, Gilder insists on fiction's power to hold emotional truths that the archive cannot.
'Historians tell us what happened,' he said. 'Novelists tell us what it felt like.'
This is not nostalgia. It is reckoning. The novel is a form of political memory work – an attempt to break the silence around suspicion, doubt and betrayal that was never truly resolved.
By the end, the novel ceases to be about one man's guilt or innocence. It becomes something far more collective – a mosaic of those who made the movement, lived through exile and continue to carry its shadows.
Gilder reminds us that the story of liberation is not just about triumph. It's about what it costs to keep going.
At the Fire Hour stands as both tribute and testimony, a quiet but insistent record of what it meant to survive the storm and to still want to sing. DM
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
3 hours ago
- The South African
Robert Downey Jr. shows love for 'Ironheart' star Dominique Thorne
Robert Downey Jr. sent a heartfelt video message in support of Dominique Thorne, the star of the new Marvel series Ironheart . The message was shared during a recent interview on Good Morning America . Thorne and co-star Anthony Ramos are promoting the show ahead of its Disney+ premiere on 24 June. Downey Jr., famously known for his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man, expressed his excitement about seeing Thorne bring the character Riri Williams to life, according to ABC . He said, 'Miss Thorne, I couldn't be happier than to be seeing you bring Riri Williams to life.' His tone mixed warmth with a touch of humour, perfectly capturing the spirit of his iconic character. He also playfully addressed Ramos, who plays Parker Robbins, aka The Hood . 'But the Hood has me nervous. Is the Hood green? Please tell me Mr. Ramos is not replacing me as Doctor Doom via Parker Robbins. Is there something they're not telling me?' This light-hearted jab added a fun moment to the message. Downey Jr. concluded the message by forming a heart with his hands. 'Iron Man loves Ironheart.' Thorne responded in kind, making the same gesture. 'Ironheart loves Iron Man, too.' This exchange symbolised a passing of the torch between two generations of Marvel heroes, resonating deeply with fans and viewers alike. Thorne shared that Downey Jr.'s support has meant a lot to her. She revealed that shortly after filming wrapped in Chicago, she received a phone call from him. 'He has been so sweet, like, through and through. So the support, it means so much. It really does,' she said. With Ironheart debuting soon, local viewers can look forward to seeing a fresh hero inspired by the legacy of Iron Man, a character beloved worldwide. The series promises to add a new chapter to the MCU story, blending innovation with the familiar charm that Robert Downey Jr. helped establish. Ironheart will be available on Disney+ from 24 June. Given the popularity of superhero content in South Africa, the show is expected to attract a strong local following. The heartfelt endorsement from Downey Jr. adds an extra layer of excitement for fans eager to see how the legacy of Iron Man continues through Dominique Thorne's portrayal of Riri Williams. Robert Downey Jr.'s message is a celebration of the enduring spirit of heroism that connects generations. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
5 hours ago
- The South African
Jeffreys Bay icon dies while surfing the waves that inspired his art
The Jeffreys Bay community is in mourning following the sudden passing of Stephen Bibb, a cherished local artist and surfer, who died on Friday morning while surfing – an act that encapsulated his deep bond with the ocean and the creative spirit it gave him. Stephen Bibb wasn't just a painter; he was a visual poet of the sea , a storyteller whose brush captured the soul of surf culture and the transformative power of water. His vibrant artworks – many depicting the iconic Supertubes – made him a household name in J-Bay and far beyond. Bibb lived only a few blocks from the shoreline, his studio forever infused with the scent of sea spray and the soundtrack of waves breaking. His daily surf sessions were sacred, shaping both his life and artistic vision. Works like 'Ocean Dreams' and 'Carpark Section JBay' became beloved local landmarks in paint – capturing moments of serenity and surf stoke with vivid, flowing energy. His art was born from personal darkness. Bibb often spoke of a period in his life marked by grief and depression. A life-altering moment occurred during a surf session when a pod of dolphins surrounded him. He described the experience as a 'ball of glowing white energy' rising within him – an awakening that catalysed his spiritual and artistic rebirth. From that moment forward, dolphins became a recurring symbol in his work – representing joy, healing, and connection. Bibb's style was unmistakable: glowing line-ups, barreling waves, retro kombis, and soulful ocean moments. His work, once sold in local surf shops and co-ops, gained international popularity through platforms like Displate, making his art accessible to a global audience. Mediums ranged from oils and acrylics to digital art and etched metal. Yet no matter the format, each piece carried his unmistakable reverence for the sea. Bibb wasn't just a painter – he was a mentor, a community supporter, and a quiet force of good. He donated art to anti-crime initiatives, worked with local schools and surf clubs, and inspired countless young artists who found courage in his story. Locals remember him as gentle, humble, and always smiling – especially when the swell was up. Bibb passed away doing what he loved most: surfing the waves that gave him life and voice. Though his death is a heartbreaking loss, many feel peace knowing he left this world embraced by the ocean that so deeply shaped him. He is survived by his family, friends, fellow surfers, and an international community of art lovers who saw the sea through his are underway for a community paddle-out ceremony and a memorial exhibition of his work in Jeffreys Bay. 'The sea has a spirit of its own. It teaches, it heals, and if you listen closely, it paints through you,' – Stephen Bibb. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
5 hours ago
- The South African
Carte Blanche: Death in the chicken house
The 22 June episode of Carte Blanche delves into a once-thriving chicken business now mired in controversy, uncovering disturbing reports of animal cruelty, including acts of cannibalism among birds and the presence of decomposing carcasses on-site. The exposé also highlights the plight of workers who allege they have not received their salaries for months, raising serious concerns about both ethical practices and financial mismanagement within the operation. The investigation seeks to uncover what led to the decline of this previously successful enterprise and who is ultimately accountable for the grim conditions exposed. Carte Blanche is a South African investigative journalism television series that airs on M-Net every Sunday at 19:00. Its first episode aired on 21 August 1988 and over the last 34-plus years has earned credibility among South African viewers for its investigation into corruption, consumer issues, and current events. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
