In the prologue to The Go-Between, L.P. Hartley claimed that the “past is a foreign country: they do things differently there”. That is certainly true for 1914, for in that year southern Africa was mired in warfare, rebellion, protest and unrest. One hundred years on, it is an opportune moment for historians to reflect upon and reappraise the events of that time.

But it is also appropriate to cast our historical gaze towards the more contemporary ‘History Wars’ we are fighting with pens, pencils, paper, print, PCs, paint, propaganda, pomp, parliament, press, power, paintings, pictures and sometimes even pistols. However, while some historians are engaged with warring in its various guises others are going about their work in a more peaceful but equally important manner. Considering the aforementioned, the HASA conference has three distinctly southern African foci, namely: click here