Becoming Plural: A Tale of Two Sudans

In July 2011, Sudan officially 'became plural', as the country split in two; the unofficial north - south divide between the Arabdominated north and the more ethnically African south was formalised, after the people of Southern Sudan voted overwhelmingly to separate from the rest of the country. Becoming Plural is a beautifully illustrated travelogue containing over 100 unique photographs of Sudanese people and their lives, accompanied by a first-hand narrative of what life in Sudan was really like during this critical time in its history. Richard Boggs lived and worked among the Sudanese people for many years, first coming to Sudan as a volunteer in 1986. He has lived in both Juba and Khartoum, and shared the reality of life in Sudan with the people around him. This has enabled him to provide an intimate portrait of the characteristics and values of the Sudanese people. He conveys astutely the particular circumstances in which they live, creating a record of their hopes and fears as Sudan formally breaks into two separate states. This book will have enormous appeal to those who appreciate travel writing, photography and ethnography, as well as those interested in the historic circumstances of the split between North and South Sudan.

About the Author :
The Author Richard Boggs has travelled from the extreme north of Sudan to the far south, from Kassalla in the east to Darfur in the west. He lived in the country as a volunteer in the late 1980s, teaching in the Islamic University, and has returned several times since 2006, becoming a regular visitor to the region. He has previously recorded in text and images life on an island between Yemen and Somalia in The Lost World of Socotra, and revealed the world of Syria's Turkish baths in Hammaming in the Sham.

Review :
The Sudan (officially the Republic of the Sudan) is an Arab state in North Africa and the Middle East bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west and Libya to the northwest. Internally, the Nile divides the country into eastern and western halves. The population of Sudan is a combination of indigenous inhabitants of the Nile Valley and descendants of migrants from the Arabian Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of the population today adhere to Islam. Becoming Plural: A Tale of Two Sudans by Richard Boggs is a 232 page compendium dedicated to describing a nation that has been torn by war these past few decades, the practical result of which was to divide the Sudan into two ethnic-based countries. Bogg's informed and informative text is enhanced with a profusion of full color photographs of the land and the people, making it highly recommended for academic library Sudanese Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.