South African Literary Awards (SALA)
1 appearances
-
Edition 2 (2006) Winner
Bessie Head
ベッシー・ヘッド
Besshī Hēdo
Aliases:
Bessie Amelia Head / Bessie Amelia Emery Head
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1937-07-06 （Pietermaritzburg）
- Died
- 1986-04-17 （Serowe） age 48
- Nationality
- South Africa, Botswana
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Christianity
- Residence History
- Pietermaritzburg, South Africa → Durban, South Africa → Cape Town, South Africa → Johannesburg, South Africa → Serowe, Botswana
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Teacher, Journalist
- Active Years
- 1956-1986
- Affiliations
- Golden City Post, Home Post
- Influenced By
- Mahatma Gandhi, George Padmore, Robert Sobukwe
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Monica's Home for Coloured Girls | — | General Education | Junior Certificate | 1949-1953 | South Africa |
| Teacher Training College (near Durban) | — | Teacher Training | Teacher Training Certificate | 1953-1955 | South Africa |
St. Monica's Home for Coloured Girls
General Education
Degree:
Junior Certificate
Period:
1949-1953
Year of Graduation:
1953
Country:
South Africa
Boarding school
Teacher Training College (near Durban)
Teacher Training
Degree:
Teacher Training Certificate
Period:
1953-1955
Year of Graduation:
1956
Country:
South Africa
Provisional teaching certificate obtained
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Order of Ikhamanga | — | — | The Presidency of South Africa | Gold |
Order of Ikhamanga
2003
Organization:
The Presidency of South Africa
Result:
Gold
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
When Rain Clouds Gather
1968 NovelSet in a Botswana village, it depicts a refugee man's efforts to form a community with villagers for development, based on the author's farm experience.
CommunityDevelopmentAfrican village life
Maru
1971 NovelIncorporates the author's experience of racial inferiority.
RacismLoveIdentity
A Question of Power
1973 NovelSemi-autobiographical novel drawing on experiences of acute psychological distress.
Mental illnessSpiritualityIdentity
Bibliography
- When Rain Clouds Gather
- Maru
- A Question of Power
- The Collector of Treasures
- Serowe: Village of the Rain Wind
- A Bewitched Crossroad
- Tales of Tenderness and Power
- A Woman Alone: Autobiographical Writings
- A Gesture of Belonging: Letters from Bessie Head
- The Cardinals
- Imaginative Trespasser
- The Lovers
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Style infused with spiritual questioning and reflectionBlending everyday life with African political struggles
- Recurring Motifs
- RacePovertyMental illnessReligionGender
Health
-
Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia1969頃-Led to major psychotic episode and hospitalization in 1969, influencing writing.
-
Hepatitis1986Cause of death.
Legacy
Born in South Africa but exiled to Botswana, considered its most influential writer. Works explore race, mental health, community in African literature. Legacy includes namesake awards and museum.
Museums
- Khama III Memorial Museum Serowe, Botswana
Archives
- Khama III Memorial Museum (Bessie Head Papers)
In Popular Culture
- Bessie Head Literature Awards established (2007)
- Msunduzi Municipal Library renamed Bessie Head Library (2007)
Trivia
- Born to a white mother and black father, product of illegal interracial relationship in South Africa.
- Raised as Coloured, traumatized by sudden revelation of origins.
- Involved in Pan-Africanism, arrested after Sharpeville massacre, exiled to Botswana.
- Only child Howard affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
- Strongly influenced by Hinduism.