Hair: Weaving & Unpicking Stories of Identity

by Joanne Hichens (Editor), Karina Magdalena Szczurek (Editor), Shubnum Khan (Contributor)

A collection of short stories inspired by hair. Like skin, hair is a body feature with a complex and controversial history, and is constantly under scrutiny in the media, specifically with regard to identity. HAIR: Weaving and Unpicking Stories of Identity features short stories by contemporary established and emerging South African writers of diverse backgrounds writing about hair and its intimate, personal as well as socio-political meaning. The book includes illustrative photographs by local visual artists.

Foreword by Palesa Morudu

Stories by: Diane Awerbuck, Tumelo Buthelezi, Craig Higginson, Mishka Hoosen, Bobby Jordan, Shubnum Khan, Fred Khumalo, Bongani Kona, Alex Latimer, Kholofelo Maenetsha, Songeziwe Mahlangu, Mapule Mohulatsi, Tiffany Kagure Mugo, Sally-Ann Murray, Sue Nyathi, Alex Smith, Melissa A. Volker, Lester Walbrugh, Mary Watson, Michael Yee

Photographs by: Kirsten Arendse, Saaleha Idrees Bamjee, Nina Bekink, Noncedo Charmaine, Keran Elah, Retha Ferguson, Sue Greeff, Liesl Jobson, Simangele Kalisa, Andy Mkosi, Manyatsa Monyamane, Nick Mulgrew, Aniek Nieuwenhuis, Chris Snelling, Karina M. Szczurek, Lebogang Tlhako, Karina Turok, Michael Tymbios, Jasmin Valcarcel, Megan Voysey

Genres: Nonfiction

299 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2019

About the author

I live in a seaside suburb of Cape Town called Muizenberg and swim most early mornings in the sea. It’s wonderfully refreshing and helps me to get ready for the day ahead. And of course I love reading – mostly crime and thriller fiction. I’ve read all sorts of crime fiction, from Agatha Christie when I was young, to the more contemporary hard-boiled authors like Elmore Leonard and Bill James. (And of course I scoff chocolates when I’m reading, which could be considered a hobby!)

When it comes to novels for young people, I’m a fan of Mallory Blackman and Stephenie Meyer – both spin a fantastic yarn!

I had always wanted to write, and was lucky enough to get onto a creative writing Masters programme at the University of Cape Town about eight years ago. I don’t believe one needs a degree to write, but committing to the course really threw me into the deep end, as I had no choice but to deliver a novel by the end of my two years part time study. That novel is now in my bottom drawer – I suspect a good number of first novels are lurking in various writer’s drawers! – but I’d love to get it out and rewrite it. I’m not sure why I wanted to write. I just had this overwhelming desire to write a book, and finally tried my hand at it, only to discover writing is a bit of an addiction – I want to do more!

Reviews

[Consuelo Roland · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing boring about this anthology! Many of the stories are partially embedded in time and space against the background of South Africa's apartheid legacy, but there is also spontaneity, humour and mystery, and a sense of how one might wriggle out from under the weight of our hair (the burdens of past and present). As the first brilliant story 'The Collection' by Alex Latimer reminds us hair is something dead and yet it makes us alive and present. Other stories that stayed with me (yours may well be different, this collection is that good!): 'Before We Go', 'Spa Ritual', 'The Wisdom of Sunday', 'A Woman's Glory', 'At Length, Hair's Breath,', That Famous Winter Brown', Let The Music Play On', 'Reunion'. And then there's the soulful, beautifully written (not an unnecessary word) 'Lila', by Bongani Kona, that felt like someone had thrown a brick at my chest so that I could hardly breathe with the sadness of it.

My parting thought as I closed this multi-faceted anthology, well satisfied with my investment of time and attention, was that it was a fascinating example of how good curatorship (and editing) can make all the difference for an anthology. The careful choice of genuinely entertaining tales demonstrates the varied possibilities of short stories as well as showcases the quality of the writing. I loved the element of suspense that was threaded through this collection and the elected images that acted as a foreword to each tale, opening up a psychic space and projecting a state of mind and being (hair transects both).

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This masterfully curated collection of 20 essays was such a marvel to read. #hairweaving&unpickingstoriesofidentity opens up with 3 killer metaphorical essays and the momentum continues till the last essay.
The collection's 20 contributors are who's who of the literature world and I was introduced to Mary Watson, Sally-Ann Murray, Songeziwe Mahlangu, Michael Yee and Diane Awerbuck. @tumelobuks 's "Gonma" was such a super fantastical read and the growth in the writing was so impressive.
Of the 20 essays, only two were comme ci, comme ça but, the collection,as a whole, worked. @fredkhumalo's interpretation of the multinational, multicultural, honey-skinned and blue-eyed Fikile was such a seamless transition from the Fikile we were introduced to in "Talk of the Town" 's short story titled, "Ancestral Voices" to this sassy, empowered and slaying Fikile in "Let The Music Play On", that I found myself yaaying and yessesing✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿. Bongani Kona's "Lila", such a sorrowful read. My heart is still in my throat 💔
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A great start to my reading year and we should be on the lookout for these rising stars @mapulemohulatsi, #kholofelomaenetsa and @kagsmugo.
Happy new year 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[Maniki_021 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection with short stories written by different South African writers talks about hair and what it means to people. These stories show how hair is important to us personally and in society. The book also has pictures drawn by local artists.

I enjoyed the following :
Gonma by Tumelo Buthelezi
Hair and Graces by Lester Walbrugh
Spa Ritual by Melissa A Volker
The Haircut by Shubnum Khan
The Wisdom of Sunday by Mapule Mohulatsi
Lila by Bongani Kona
Let the Music Play on by Fred Khumalo
Reunion by Michael Yee

[Cassey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection - the images add a lot to the tales. But as with all collections there were some I enjoyed and others I didn't.

[Mr. Musale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice collection of short stories revolving around the hair. It was a captivating read and having sampled stories from different parts, it exposes a lot of captivating cultures.