Reading corner

Prince Charles shares his reads that awaken the conscience

For Prince Charles reading is more than just entertainment. He sees books as a means to help him better grasp his role as a young person in a democratic society.

Charles, an Administration Officer in the office of the Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration, shared his views on the importance of reading with PSM.

What book are you reading and why are you interested in it?

I am reading Godless Morality. It questions the way which we, as society, frame morality and sometimes use God as justification for prejudice. The book argues that we should relook at how we develop moral arguments and look at certain issues from purely a human basis.

What are some of the books that you have read that had an impact on your life? How did they impact your life?

Christine Qunta's Why We are Not a Nation, Oliver Tambo; Beyond the Engeli Mountains, by Luli Callinicos and Steve Biko's I Write What I Like.

These books have had an impact on my life because they gave me perspective of what it means or should mean to be a South African in a post-apartheid South Africa.

These books challenge you to think about the legacy you leave behind.

Which books would you recommend to other people and why?

There's a growing debate in South Africa about identity, to whom does South Africa belong and who has the right to speak on issues.

This is an important and necessary debate, however it does create a major stumbling block in the creation of national identity and by implication social cohesion. Narrow nationalism and ethnic chauvinism have crept into the debate and are threatening to make South Africa's past a grave digger of its future.

In light of this, I would recommend I Write What I Like as it puts into context of what his generation was fighting for and crafts a way for what other generations must fight for.

What are some of the benefits that you enjoy from reading?

Reading is not only a conversation between writers but it's a call to action, it's basically a tool to awaken the conscience of society. It makes one uncomfortable and forces you to think critically and expand your outlook.