In the Shadow of the Rock
Publisher: Janus Publishing Company
Published: December2001
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 252
ISBN-13: 9781857562538
Subjects: Literature of special Gay interest; Modern fiction
First sentence: In February 1978 Hans Hansen, aged 33, passed away.
Description: Contents
Prologue	1
1	The Prophecy	11
2	First Flight	13
3	My First School Year	16
4	The Death of a Pet	24
5	Nightmares	27
6	The Rape	                     31
7	Comradeship	35
8	Rover	                     41
9	A Train Journey	46
10	The Sea Gull	51
11	Walking Away	59
12	The Picnic	                     66
13	The Initiation	69
14	Johan	                     79
15	A Thunderstorm	91
16	The Hunt	                     97
17	Nqandu	                     99
18	The Masked Ball	101
19	Neppy and Victor	104
20	Jan	                     111
21	AlvaroClaro	119
22	Mr Crouse	                     122
23	Pieter	                     127
24	Carl	                      135
25	Matric Farewell	139
26	Loyalty	                      144
27	Decisions	                      147
28	On Holiday in America 150
29	Enrico	                     167
30	Penetrating Eyes	171
31	Unannounced Visit	178
32	Pretoria	                      182
33	Carl Puts in a Good "Word For Me	186
34	The Next Ten Years	190
35	Mixed Up or Not?	197
36	Durban	                      208
37	It Is Over	                      212
38	Andrew Powers	216
39	One Blind Mouse   	227
40	The Last Meal	229
41	Imprisonment	232
42	Reflections	                     236
Last Thoughts	                     243
Epilogue
Notes: IN THE SHADOW OF THE ROCK BY Hans Hansen

A NOVEL

IMPORTANT NOTE:  I, Hugo Karl Küsel, wrote this novel using the pseudonym Hans Hansen because I was afraid of being discriminated against and losing my job as Head of Department of Official Languages at a High School if I revealed my sexual orientation. The National Apartheid Government in South Africa strictly forbade homosexuality. Only in 1994, when the ANC under the leadership of Nelson Mandela took over the power in SA was discrimination against homosexuals abolished and the rights of gay people protected in the new constitution.

I officially declare that I, Hugo Karl Küsel, used the pen name/fictitious name Hans Hansen.

"The seagull wheeled and dived above the boy…
His mournful cry … screamed to set it apart from its kind.
Hans heard and understood for he, too, felt different from his fellows…"

From a very young age Hans Hansen realises he is different. Try as he may, he cannot live up to the macho image expected of him by his family, by his heritage.
 
At the age of 19 he becomes a student of Education at Tukkies (The University of Pretoria) and finds his every sensibility offended by a system close to its demise, and yet still in full force.

Author Hugo Küsel (aka Hans Hansen) transports the reader into this young man’s world with evocative realism - sometimes heart-rending, sometimes with humour, always with brush strokes of hope.

This is a long overdue story about the emotional and physical suffering endured by countless young GAY men in the APARTHEID South Africa.

WHY I WROTE In the Shadow of the Rock
Although the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa had gone a long way to exposing and exorcising some of the atrocities committed in the name of Apartheid, very little has been revealed about the adversities faced by gay people under the old regime.

The book IN THE SHADOW OF THE ROCK is a result of my need to make sense of the madness around me while I was studying Education in South Africa during the 1960’s. I had nowhere to turn for help or understanding - not to my parents, my Church, or my friends; the Government had even criminalized homosexuality – and so it was my diary that saved my sanity. I documented my suffering, which was also that of so many others; our anguish at having to hide behind a façade, our desperation of wanting to escape or sublimate an inescapable orientation.

I have often thought of the suffering of those who were the primary targets of Apartheid, but not even during the darkest days of our history was it illegal to be black. Never would a black parent throw a child out of his house because of his ethnicity. Yet, this was what happened to gay people. I needed to document the turmoil of a child going through puberty, awakening spiritually, but being pressurised into believing that, because he is homosexual, he is doomed to eternal hell.

Set during the South African border war against communism (in itself is a part of this country’s history that could be all too easily forgotten) I have recorded the atrocities that took place in the whole of South Africa, where gay people of all walks of life were abused and tortured.

I simply had to face the DEMONS of my past and wrote what I had documented in my journals that I kept since age 12.

This is my contribution towards a world where we are not treated as second-rate citizens, but where we are seen and see ourselves as equal to all other human beings, as we were created.

As a gay man with deep spiritual desires, my only way to processing the confusion I felt about my sexuality was to write about it. The church regarded me as sinful, the government told me it was unlawful and the rest of society considered it offensive.
Although the novel is based largely on my experiences in life, I have to stress that it is essentially a work of fiction and although the story follows the course of my life, the relatives of the main characters are all fictional.

Author Detail 

Hugo Karl Küsel, (pseudonym Hans Hansen) was born in Paulpietersburg in Natal, South Africa on the farm Politiek. He attended the German Braunschweig Government School up to standard six (Grade 8). When his family moved to the Transvaal, he attended the Piet Retief High School where he matriculated (completed Grade 12). After one year of compulsory training as ambassador in the Union Building, (he was declared unfit for military training because of a very serious heart defect and instead of military training was selected to train to become an ambassador for South Africa) he started studying Education at Tukkies in Pretoria. He obtained his BA degree and HED (Higher Education Diploma) with distinction and was awarded a bursary by the HSCR (Human, Sciences Research Council) to study for a BA (Hons) degree in German. Two years later, he was awarded his second BA degree. His main subjects are German, English, Zulu, and Psychology. Three years later, he worked on an MA degree in German. For 30 years, he taught English, German, and Zulu to Standard 10 or Grade 12 pupils. He was promoted to Head of Department of Official Languages at age twenty-seven and acted as Acting Deputy Principal and Acting Principal for many years when the Principal was absent. He coached athletics, tennis, choirs, cadet bands, speech and drama, public speaking and organised debates. The English Inspector of Education asked him to write class notes on the prescribed books for Grade 10, 11 and 12 learners that other teachers used as guidelines. He wrote many songs (lyrics and libretto) for his choirs and cadet band. Two operettas flowed from his pen. He was appointed Chief Marker for English and set the Question Papers for the matriculation examination in English in the old Transvaal. When he went on very early pension, he published his first novel In the Shadow if the Rock by JANUS Publishing House, in Great Britain. Today he concentrates on writing. He writes in German, Afrikaans, and English. He is planning to write a novel on the SADF (South African Defence Force) and the Border War in which the whites fought against the blacks who were Freedom Fighters. The Border War raged form 1957 to 1994.

Target market

I wrote this book or the affluent, white and black women, and the gay readers, who love reading.

The target audience are gay people, straight people, and homophobes. Mainstream readers who love reading. Anybody who has no problem relating to the characters in fiction: because the fundamental desires for love, justice, health, and enlightenment interest most people.

These books will, however, be of special interest to gay people, gay sympathisers (people who do not discriminate against gays), parents, family, and friends of gay people, anyone who does not hate gays, but like a good story.

Friday, January, 1997
Review: IN THE SHADOW OF THE ROCK by Hans Hansen (Hugo Karl Küsel) 

In a year that has been full of uninspiring books, it is exciting to come across a book as good, rather brilliant, as In the Shadow of the Rock. For it to be written by a South African author is unheard of.

In the Shadow of the Rock is Hugo Karl Küsel' (Hans Hansen's) first novel and hopefully not his last. The book is set in APARTHEID South Africa and recounts the life of a gay boy having to try to cope in a country in which homosexuality has been criminalized. This book is the most honest book I have come across this year, and could very well be the best gay book I have ever read. For everyone that lived in South Africa and all those who condemned Apartheid buy this book. For those of you that didn't, still buy it.

As always, buy this book from Janus Publishing Company. They are selling it at a great price of £15.99. Also get it from the leading UK bookstores http://t.bookkoob.co.uk/10/1857562534/ and also Waterstones, Foyles, WH Smith, and Blackwells, etc.

posted by Erik Vermeulen

25 Comments:
Anonymous said... 
I agree 100%. I lived in South Africa during apartheid and what is described in the novel In the Shadow of the Rock that is what you go through although I never ever heard anyone describe it the way Hans does. The most honest book I have read in a long time! Exciting too and well written.

Michael Janson said... 
Yes, I'm reading The Rock at the moment and it is so realistic and well written. I'm almost finished and don't want it to end!

Anonymous said... 
I've just finished In the Shadow of the Rock, I thought it was BRILLIANT! I'm gay and I am experiencing everything Hans Hansen describes first-hand now and, although its 1997. It's awesome to see how similar things are! 5 stars!

Sarie du Plessis said... 
Would love to see a sequel. Can't wait!

Anonymous said... 
Just finished In the Shadow of the Rock, and very sad about that too. An absolutely great book, so well written. Really captures gay life in a discriminating society during apartheid so well, but from a completely different perspective. As well as being so lifelike, it also is quite a moving book - has everything! I really hope there is a sequel!!

Anonymous said... 
Started at page 1 and finished several hours later at the last page... Brilliant book, thoughtful and excellently written, especially the imprisonment - hope there will be a second follow up book to it!! I felt so sad when the protagonist dies. Why?

Neil Schoombie wrote... 
Extremely enjoyable book. Read it on a train in London when visiting there and simply couldn't stop. I felt like crying at the end … Can't wait for the sequel!! Hurry up, Hans!

Anonymous said... 
In the Shadow of the Rock is a great book full of life lessons for discriminating people. When I was reading it, I didn't want it to end. I hope there is a sequel

Anonymous said... 
In the Shadow of the Rock is the most enlightening and entertaining book I've ever read. I am fourteen and it took me 2 days to read it, now I wish I had stretched it out because those two days were the 2 of the most fantastic days I have experienced ever. I am gay and it helped me understand myself better. Hans Hansen, please hurry up with a sequel.

Anonymous said... 
It's been five years since I matriculated from a private single-sex school for boys and this book took me back! I loved it! I am gay and can identify with most in the book! I was sorry when the book ended so tragically. Hans Hansen you HAVE to give us a sequel

Anonymous said... 
I don't often enjoy South African authors, but this book was BRILLIANT! Its way better than similar overseas books and the SA references were great. Fantastic, gonna lend it to all my friends.

Anonymous said... 
Wow! Yes, this book was really good and well written. I encourage anyone to read this tragic novel! ! Whatever age you are!

Anonymous said... 
Hi, my name is Manfred. I would have to say I am one of your biggest fans. I have read In the Shadow of the Rock so many times that even my friends have started calling me Hans. I think the characters in the book are so realistic and completely match to make one live their life! I definitely can't wait for a new follow-up book to come out by Hans.

Anonymous said... 
My name is Lionel. I love your book. Please keep on publishing more books about being gay in South Africa.

Anonymous said... 
Why did Hans have to die? That completely ruined the book for me. My smile turned into tears of sadness - then anger?!

Bertus Willemse said... 
Hi, I just wanted you to know I am one of your biggest fans and I really wish there were more South African authors like you. There are too few books written by South Africans about gay people in South Africa. We young gay chaps do not know what to do if we are gay. Your book helps a bit to know you are not alone.

Anonymous said... 
HI,
In The Shadow Of The Rock is the best GAY book I have ever read and I absolutely loved it!
I normally hate reading but as soon as I started reading In The Shadow Of The Rock, I couldn't put it down!
Don't stop writing books, Hans, you are a good writer! WOW! I am gay and need such books.

Anonymous said... 
I was on holiday in London and got this in the airport on the way home.
It is probably one of my favourite gay books EVER! I have read it twice and want to read it again. It makes me cry!

Anonymous said... 
I love this book it is just so authentic. And yes, I hope Hans Hansen writes more gay South African books.

William said... 
I live in Washington, DC, and I cannot remember how this book got here. Someone from South Africa send it to me. It was in our bookcase for a while and one weekend I picked it up and just could not put it down. It is very good. It brought back many great memories of me living as a teenager in South Africa before my family immigrated to USA. We often forget all the hardship that gay people and blacks had to suffer during apartheid. South Africa is a truly unique country with awesome people. It is great to read a book like this to remind one of this. Thanks for this amazing adventure.

Anonymous said... 
I liked In The Shadow Of The Rock BUT sorta sad. I wish Hans had lived to enjoy the new human rights GAY South Africans now enjoy under the new constitution.

Brian said... 
Hi, my name is Brian. I love your book. Are you gonna write a second? Some of my gay friends also liked it.

Riana said... 
Your book hooks the reader. In my opinion you are a good writer but not brilliant I see room for improvement - you should have being more ruthless and should have "punched" the NG Church (all Christians) and the National Party and the Afrikaners in the stomach - they ARE to blame for all the heartache gay people have to suffer…

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