Papwa: In the grip of a champion

By (author): Maxine Case. This biographical novel tells the story of Sewsunker "Papwa" Sewgolum (1930–1978), a self-taught South African golfer of Indian descent who rose from caddying poverty to win the Natal Open twice and the Dutch Open three times. In 1963 he became the first golfer of colour to win a provincial title in South Africa, but was made to collect his trophy in the rain because he was barred from the whites-only clubhouse; by 1966 apartheid law had banned him from local tournaments and withdrawn his passport, ending his career at 36. Case's novel renders both his triumph and the racial machinery that cut it short.