In 2017 we saw some amazing books come out of the African continent. Spanning across Fiction, non-fiction and poetry, African authors made it a point to push their literature to the forefront writing books about Africans in Africa for Africans, and Africans received them well. Towards the end of the year the Abantu Book Festival hosted their annual festival for celebrating books by African Authors through a seven day festival, with some of our favorite authors being part of signings, panel discussions and even poetry nights. However, one thing cannot be denied while African authors have been at the forefront African female authors particularly have been giving us gems, writing books relevant to the African Woman’s daily plight.
If you’re looking for inspiration from some of these authors to understand consent and the African feminist wave, these five books by African women are a great way to start out;
1. Pumla Dineo Gqola’s Reflecting Rogue: Inside the mind of a feminist
Reflecting Rogue, is a collection of autobiographical essays by Pumla Dineo the genius that gave us “ A Renegade Called Simphiwe”. In the same careful, deliberate way Pumla explored Simphiwe Dana she explores herself this time, giving us her most personal book to date. Written from classic Gqola intersectional feminist perspectives, Reflecting Rogue delivers 20 essays of deliciously incisive brain food, all extremely accessible to a general critical readership, without sacrificing intellectual rigor.
2. The Kanga and the Kangaroo Court by Mmatshilo Motsei
This book, another offering from a South African author is inspired by the courageous Khwezi. Khwezi is the young woman who accused Jacob Zuma of rape before his ascension from Deputy President to President of the Republic of South Africa. However, while the book does use Khwezi’s case as a huge reference point it is more centered on the truth of power. It speaks of not just male power but religious, cultural, imperial and military power that allowed Khwezi to be crucified for telling her truth.
3. Paper Dolls by Nyachiro Lydia Kasese
In this poetry collection by Tanzanian Nyachiro Lydia Kasesa takes us through the journey of a woman tormented by the past traumas of her life; an experience most African women can relate to having grown up in a culture were more often than not women are encouraged to bury their pain under the celebrated guise of a strong woman. In this short collection Lydia unpacks those traumas most women neatly pack away into the darkest parts of themselves. The poetry serves to remind that time does not heal all wounds, but rather that healing sometimes requires that we face our wounds, clean them and tend to them before they fester.
4. Rape by Pumla Dineo Gqola
A South African Nightmare, RAPE by Pumla Dineo GQola is an extremely difficult book to read but one necessary for us to read. In this book Pumla highlights the cultureal, socio-economic and political atmosphere in south Africa that has allowed rape culture to fester and earned South Africa the title the Rape Capital of the World. Again, Gqola proves why she is a favorite in African women’s literature taking the time to explore even the most difficult parts of rape including the brutal truth that it is a power crime that destroys the lives of women through out south Africa.
5. Redi Tlhabi’s KHWEZI
While many stories have been written about Khwezi since her accusations of rape against Jacob Zuma in 2006, this story is perhaps the most phenomenal one. A decade after the rape the young woman who endured violence and crucification by South Africans in one of her most vulnerable moments died. However, before her death Khwezi had begun to tell her story to journalist Redi Tlhabi, who has finally breathed to live this phenomenal young woman whose strength existed beyond being “The girl who accused JZ of rape”. In this book, Redi tells us the story of Khwezi a fiery young woman who was carrying a revolution.
If you’re looking for inspiration from some of these authors to understand consent and the African feminist wave, these five books by African women are a great way to start out;
1. Pumla Dineo Gqola’s Reflecting Rogue: Inside the mind of a feminist
Reflecting Rogue, is a collection of autobiographical essays by Pumla Dineo the genius that gave us “ A Renegade Called Simphiwe”. In the same careful, deliberate way Pumla explored Simphiwe Dana she explores herself this time, giving us her most personal book to date. Written from classic Gqola intersectional feminist perspectives, Reflecting Rogue delivers 20 essays of deliciously incisive brain food, all extremely accessible to a general critical readership, without sacrificing intellectual rigor.
2. The Kanga and the Kangaroo Court by Mmatshilo Motsei
This book, another offering from a South African author is inspired by the courageous Khwezi. Khwezi is the young woman who accused Jacob Zuma of rape before his ascension from Deputy President to President of the Republic of South Africa. However, while the book does use Khwezi’s case as a huge reference point it is more centered on the truth of power. It speaks of not just male power but religious, cultural, imperial and military power that allowed Khwezi to be crucified for telling her truth.
3. Paper Dolls by Nyachiro Lydia Kasese
In this poetry collection by Tanzanian Nyachiro Lydia Kasesa takes us through the journey of a woman tormented by the past traumas of her life; an experience most African women can relate to having grown up in a culture were more often than not women are encouraged to bury their pain under the celebrated guise of a strong woman. In this short collection Lydia unpacks those traumas most women neatly pack away into the darkest parts of themselves. The poetry serves to remind that time does not heal all wounds, but rather that healing sometimes requires that we face our wounds, clean them and tend to them before they fester.
4. Rape by Pumla Dineo Gqola
A South African Nightmare, RAPE by Pumla Dineo GQola is an extremely difficult book to read but one necessary for us to read. In this book Pumla highlights the cultureal, socio-economic and political atmosphere in south Africa that has allowed rape culture to fester and earned South Africa the title the Rape Capital of the World. Again, Gqola proves why she is a favorite in African women’s literature taking the time to explore even the most difficult parts of rape including the brutal truth that it is a power crime that destroys the lives of women through out south Africa.
5. Redi Tlhabi’s KHWEZI
While many stories have been written about Khwezi since her accusations of rape against Jacob Zuma in 2006, this story is perhaps the most phenomenal one. A decade after the rape the young woman who endured violence and crucification by South Africans in one of her most vulnerable moments died. However, before her death Khwezi had begun to tell her story to journalist Redi Tlhabi, who has finally breathed to live this phenomenal young woman whose strength existed beyond being “The girl who accused JZ of rape”. In this book, Redi tells us the story of Khwezi a fiery young woman who was carrying a revolution.
You can check out my reads on the hashtag #TeejReads, if you're curious to what I am currently reading. My 2017 reads however can be found on #TeejReads2017.
Happy Reading everyone.
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