Conversations of Motherhood
South African Women's Writing Across Traditions
Will be published approx. on 1. February 2015
Book
Paperback/Softback
328 pages
978-1-86914-288-9 (ISBN)
Description
The subject of motherhood is interwoven with themes of survival, power and identity. It is also at the heart of any consideration of women's writing.
Conversations of Motherhood sensitively charts common themes, intersecting experiences and related tropes within the cultural specificities of South African society. Exploring this space, in turn, provides a lens for cross-cultural reading that draws on various local ways of knowing and the workings of agency.
'Dialogics', the critical approach developed here, lies at the intersection of transnational feminist criticism, a postcolonial critique of modernity and a close exploration of Mikhail Bakhtin's work. This method offers striking rewards when comparatively pairing Zoe Wicomb with Pamphilia Hlapa, Sindiwe Magona with Marlene van Niekerk, Ellen Kuzwayo with Antjie Krog and Elsa Joubert with Wilma Stockenstroem.
Conversations of Motherhood sensitively charts common themes, intersecting experiences and related tropes within the cultural specificities of South African society. Exploring this space, in turn, provides a lens for cross-cultural reading that draws on various local ways of knowing and the workings of agency.
'Dialogics', the critical approach developed here, lies at the intersection of transnational feminist criticism, a postcolonial critique of modernity and a close exploration of Mikhail Bakhtin's work. This method offers striking rewards when comparatively pairing Zoe Wicomb with Pamphilia Hlapa, Sindiwe Magona with Marlene van Niekerk, Ellen Kuzwayo with Antjie Krog and Elsa Joubert with Wilma Stockenstroem.
Reviews / Votes
'[An] exciting achievement and an important contribution to the study of the literatures and cultures of South Africa as well as to the field of interdisciplinary postcolonial studies. Through the rhythm of Robbe's discursive text a beautiful balance is found: theoretical complexity is combined with the lucidity of close reading and arguments. Her choice of combinations is astute and enlightening. Motherhood has never been read and analysed in this way before.' - Professor Ena Jansen, University of Amsterdam. '[A] great pleasure to read. This book adopts a stimulating and productive way of addressing the existing literature and will be welcomed by those who wish to read a fresh and informative study of South African women's writing set within the fields of gender and African studies.' - Professor Eva Hunter, University of the Western Cape.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Scottsville, Kwazulu-Natal
South Africa
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 150 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
488 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-86914-288-9 (9781869142889)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Ksenia Robbe was trained at the Universities of St Petersburg and Giessen, Russia. She is an assistant professor at the Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society where her research focuses on the manifestations of contemporary South African culture as well as transnational connections and comparisons of literature and art in different post-imperial contexts.