Author Biography
Joe Rassool was born on 28 October 1928 in Castle Street, Cape Town to Ayesha Bibi Gool and Peerbhai (Peru) Rassool. He grew up in Buitencingle and at the age of ten the family moved to 95 Caledon Street, District Six. He attended Chapel Street Primary School and completed Matric at Trafalgar High School. He was politically active throughout his life having joined the New Era Fellowship and the Unity Movement of South Africa as a young man. He was a member of the Trafalgar Players in Cape Town in the 1950s. His famous roles include Here Endeth the First Lesson (Woodstock Town Hall, 1950), Hour of Glory (best play at the Scopus Club Drama Festival, 1956). He qualified as a teacher at Hewat Training College (then in Roeland Street) where he also became head student. In Cape Town he taught at Chapel Street Primary School, Habibia Primary School and Trafalgar High School. He subsequently taught at Esselen Park High School in Worcester where he became head of the English Department and Senior Teacher. Whilst in Worcester he staged a school production of Shakespeare's King Lear to high acclaim. Moving to the UK in 1970, Joe first settled in London where he taught English Language and Literature at Brooke House Boys School and later at Homerton House School and became head of department. After early retirement he and his wife Naz moved to Reading in Berkshire. Always a keen sportsman, Joe joined the University of Reading Cricket team, played table tennis for Reading District and did voluntary work at the Amnesty International bookshop. It was in Reading, England, that he wrote District Six: Lest We Forget which was first published by the University of the Western Cape. He contributed numerous articles to the journals Revolutionary History, and Searchlight South Africa amongst others. His novel set in the Hex River Valley, called The Valley Awakes was first published in 2003. Joe passed away in Castle Ward, The Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading on 31 August 2008. Joe was a loving husband to Naz, constant and caring father to Feyruz, Reza, and Zarina as well as a doting grandfather of six boys.
