I Write What I Like

I Write What I Like: Selected Writings by Steve Biko, is a work of nonfiction by Steve Biko, a South African antiapartheid activist and leader of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM). Edited by Aelred Stubbs, Biko’s pastor and friend, and published posthumously in 1978, the book contains selected writings from the period between 1969 and 1972, from the time Biko became president of the South African Students’ Organization (SASO) to the moment of his banning. The book promotes key tenets of the BCM, notably, the need for Black unity and pride to end oppression. The book’s title comes from essays Biko published under the pseudonym Frank Talk in SASO’s newsletter. A foundational work in the field of antiapartheid literature, the book has inspired generations of racial equality activists and remains a central text in academic circles.

This guide uses the 1987 edition published by Heinemann.

Content Warning: The source material contains discussions of racism, racial segregation, violence, and human rights abuses.

Summary

I Write What I Like is a compilation of writings, interviews, and trial transcripts by Steve Biko comprising 19 parts: an introduction and 18 chapters. The Introduction lays the groundwork for the rest of the book with a brief biography of Biko, a South African antiapartheid activist, founder of the South African Students’ Organization (SASO), and leader of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM).