Spots of a Leopard: on Being a Man

Spots of a Leopard - on being a man is a personal quest by the Zambian-born, journalist Aernout Zevenbergen to discover the meaning of manhood in Africa, during an era plagued by economic and political troubles, sexual violence, violence, political violence and aids. On journeys he made through the continent, since 1996, Zevenbergen, encounters paupers and princes, a president and a preacher, bikers and truckers, a king dressed in rags as well as an ancestor who smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish. 'We are leopards who are trying to wipe away their spots.' Zevenbergen asks questions few have dared to ask men in Africa. Each man responds passionately and intimately about his life, expectations, dreams and frustrations. Inspired by their honesty, Zevenbergen delves into his own questions of identity. How relevant these issues are, was highlighted again mid-June, when the Medical Research Council published its research into non-consensual sex in three districts in South Africa, and shocked the nation by announcing that 27 per cent of men admitted to having raped a girl or woman. The Times columnist Justice Malala wrote a few days later: 'A conversation is needed among South African men. We need to start defining what we mean when we say that we are men. There is a problem with the way we perceive ourselves, and the way in which we present ourselves to the world: to our brothers, our sons, our sisters, our wives and our partners. We are not men; we are broken beings.' 'Spots of a leopard - on being a man' does just that: opening up debate about the question 'What does it mean to be a man, today'. Spots of a leopard - on being a man is the result of a journey through the hearts and minds of men in over a dozen countries in Africa. 'I did not set out to write something absurd like The All Encompassing Truth About Men In Africa. I wanted to tickle debate around issues of masculinity - a topic surrounded by a deafening silence. I wanted to hear the stories that men can tell on love and romance, sex and loneliness, friendship and fatherhood.'

About the Author :
Aernout Zevenbergen was born in 1967 in Lusaka (Zambia), but grew up in the Netherlands. Almost thirty years later he made his first journey back to Africa and recognised so many smells from his youth, he realised he would be more at home here than in Europe. In 1997 Zevenbergen settled in Nairobi (Kenya) as the Africa correspondent for media in the Netherlands and Belgium. In 2003 he moved to Cape Town (South Africa). During his career as a reporter, he travelled through more than thirty countries in Africa. Zevenbergen has written hundreds of news articles, analyses, essays, and features. He holds lectures, participates in seminars, and blogs regularly on www.aernoutzevenbergen.co.za Zevenbergen was nominated in 2008 for journalism awards in the Netherlands and Belgium for the Dutch edition of 'Spots of a leopard' (Vlekken van een luipaard).