History and other academic writing

Some etexts:

• Mary S. Lederer & Seatholo M. Tumedi (eds), Writing Bessie Head in Botswana: An Anthology of Remembrance and Criticism (PDF version);
  also EPUB version. First published 2007; ebook 2020.
  Bessie Head is usually regarded as Botswana's greatest writer. However, until recently local scholarship on her work was limited. This book represents the proceedings of a pioneering conference attended by local scholars and people who had known her. As Nobantu Rasebotsa wrote at the time: "Her work has been increasingly appreciated, but paradoxically, its universal appeal has led to its being written about by Western scholars who often know little about the specific circumstances of her Botswana context. Now, at last, the Botswana voices can be heard through this collection.African scholars welcome the contributions of the Western colleagues, but what is problematic is the situation where only Western voices are heard, only Western criticism is read, only Western publications are taken seriously. This situation does a disservice not only to Africa, but also to the Western scholars who need to hear the African side of the conversation in order to develop their own understanding to its fullest. Hence the importance of this collection of Botswana writing on Bessie Head."
• David Livingstone, Missionary Travels (1857): Project Gutenberg free text.
  David Livingstone's memoir of his travels in Southern Africa is an important historical source. The book covers both Livingstone's early residence in what is now Botswana and his travels across the continent.