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Faculty of Arts and Humanities Celebrates Major Achievements in Humanities and Social Sciences Awards

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities is delighted to announce the recognition of two exceptional contributions at the 10th Annual Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Book, Creative Collection, and Digital Contribution Awards, presented by the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), on Thursday, 27 March 2025. These awards celebrate outstanding work in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) and highlight the important role these fields continue to play in shaping society, especially at a time in global higher education when such contributions are often undervalued, overlooked, or deliberately side-lined in ways that diminish their reach and impact.

Professor Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie, Emeritus Professor in the Department of History, has received the award for best non-fiction edited volume for her book Gandhi’s African Legacy: Phoenix Settlement 1904 to 2024, A History Through Letters (published by UWC Press in 2024). This meticulously researched volume offers a 120-year history of the Phoenix Settlement, founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1904, which served as an experiment in cooperative living and embodied Gandhi’s ideals for a just society based on ethical living and non-violent resistance. The book draws on 190 letters from 28 archives around the world, including from England, America, Australia, India, and South Africa, with over 130 of these letters newly translated from Gujarati into English. Among the letters featured are more than seventy written by Sushila Gandhi, shedding light on the life and legacy of a woman whose contributions were long overlooked in historical narratives. This volume goes beyond merely recounting the settlement’s history—it brings to life the men and women who carried on Gandhi’s ideals long after his departure. The book is poised to inspire further research in areas such as local histories of Inanda/Bhambayi, national liberation, women’s histories, heritage studies, and world peace studies.

Professor Dhupelia-Mesthrie has had a distinguished career, with more than thirty years of service at UWC, during which she served as the head of her department and as Deputy Dean of Research. In recognition of her scholarly achievements, she received a B1 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) in 2018. Her previous book, Gandhi’s Prisoner? The Life of Gandhi’s Son, Manilal (2004), was awarded the Via Africa prize for best non-fiction monograph and the Arts Faculty Research Award. Professor Dhupelia-Mesthrie’s latest award affirms her ongoing contribution to India-South Africa connected histories and her important place in the global academic community.