Bessie Head

“Life is such a gentle, treasured thing. I learn about it every minute. I think about it so deeply.”

— Bessie Head

Life & Background:

Born in 1937 in South Africa to a white mother and a Black father during apartheid, Bessie Head was classified as “colored” and grew up in foster care. She fled to Botswana in exile, where she spent much of her life in poverty and illness. Despite these challenges, she became an influential voice in African literature.

Inspirations:

Her personal alienation and struggle with identity under apartheid, African oral tradition, and philosophical inquiry shaped her work. She also had a strong interest in mysticism and utopian thought.

Themes in Her Work:

• Exile, displacement, and cultural hybridity

• Racial trauma and psychic fragmentation

• Gender roles and women’s inner lives

• Mental illness and spiritual healing

• Rural life and social transformation

Notable Works:

• When Rain Clouds Gather (1968)

• Maru (1971)

• A Question of Power (1973)