Twenty-year-old author Alia Khan Koumantarakis is set to launch her debut historical novel, Riot, at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban this Saturday.

The Westbrook resident – a former top achiever at Crawford North Coast – makes a bold literary entrance with a retelling of Durban’s 1949 riots, a chapter of local history she only discovered after her mother, Fathima Khan, began sharing stories of the city’s violent past.

“My curiosity got the better of me and my research led me to uncover the many painful stories of the 1949 Durban riots,” said Alia.

She interviewed senior citizens who had lived through the violence, gathering deeply personal and often forgotten accounts. Among them were:

• Kamala Mausi, who witnessed her father’s murder and lived with the trauma for life;

• Mrs Pragjee, a young bride watching the chaos unfold from her Victoria Street apartment;

• Apartheid struggle icon Sam Ramsamy;

• Gonaseela Munsamy, whose family narrowly escaped death by hiding in a forest.

“This novel is a tribute to those whose voices were silenced, whose pain was ignored and whose stories deserve to be remembered. It is a call to confront our past, understand our present and shape a more compassionate future,” she said.

Alia credited her mother’s support and tireless research for the book’s authenticity, including insights from her great-grandmother Ayesha Bibi Khan, who recalled the fear experienced by Indian families in Overport.

Riot follows the story of Nandi, whose experience during the 2021 unrest mirrors the 1949 riots. Amid chaos, a forbidden love challenges racial boundaries while themes of colonial oppression, generational trauma and silenced voices are brought to light.

Alia is currently pursuing a BA in Motion Picture, Directing and Producing at AFDA Cape Town.

More information: www.riot1949.com.

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