MODISANE, BLOKE

born Aug. 28, 1923, Johannesburg original name William Modisane South African-born British writer, actor, and broadcaster whose moving autobiography, Blame Me on History, is a passionate documentation of the degradation and oppression of blacks living under the laws of apartheid in South Africa. Educated in Johannesburg, he served on the editorial staff of the Drum magazine until life became intolerable, and he fled to England in 1959. In London he published short stories, poetry, and articles in a number of periodicals. He also played the lead role in the London production of Jean Genet's The Blacks. Modisane's autobiography was generally well received, and his story The Dignity of Begging (1951) was praised for its satire. His short stories have been criticized for a documentary technique in which the plot does not grow out of character but is merely journalistic.