Former South African president Nelson Mandela was honoured with the unveiling of the official Opus.
The launch took place on Tuesday, December 3 at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory.
The publication is a chronicle of his life and pays tribute to Madiba on his 95th birthday and the global release of the large-format book is set to coincide with South Africa’s 20 years of democracy in 2014.
The half-a-metre square Opus, weighing 37kg, is the ultimate work on Mandela’s life and legacy, from his birth to his 95th birthday. It tells his magnificent story in a unique and definitive way, featuring some of the finest writers and stunning images displayed on an unprecedented scale, and presented in a beautifully designed, luxury format. The writings are accompanied by hundreds of rare and previously unpublished archive images, specially commissioned photos and beautiful illustrations.
The Opus collection is a series of the largest works ever produced on selected iconic stories, organisations and personalities, which include brands such as Formula One, Ferrari, Manchester United, Michael Jackson, Sachin Tendulkar and the Springboks. Opus, Matchworld and Africa Rising, in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and the House of Mandela, embarked on the creation of, and early next year the publication of, the official Mandela Opus. Award-winning journalist Ryland Fisher, a former Cape Times editor and author of the book Race, has been tasked with editing the epic publication. Graça Machel and Lindiwe Sisulu unveiled the Mandela Opus at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory.“We are excited about the Mandela Opus, which is another way of taking Tata’s legacy to people all over the world. There can never be enough ways of telling his story,” said grandson Ndaba Mandela.
Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Public Service and Administration said, “I pledge to fight that history is made a compulsory subject in our schools, so that our children understand who we are, what we went through and where we came from. I would like the Mandela Opus to be the first book that they learn in schools as a compulsory work. We as South Africans remain eternally grateful to Nelson Mandela.”
Only 10 000 copies will be available worldwide, while derivatives of the Opus will be available to make the ultimate work ever produced on Mandela’s life accessible to millions around the world.
