“Historical fiction is back”: (Non)Fictional Pasts and Presents in Fred Khumalo’s metahistorical romance, The Longest March

This article examines the ways Fred Khumalo’s second historical novel, The Longest March, blends different genres – from the use of gothic tropes to the rewriting of historical romances – to reflect on both the fabricated and limited nature of narrative, as well as its necessity and potential in the South African context. The article concludes that The Longest March qualifies as a “metahistorical romance,” as it blurs the boundary between fiction and nonfiction to counter historical erasure while questioning historical discourse.