Conversations of motherhood - South African women's writing across traditions (Paperback)

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 topics within the cultural specificities of South African society. The author comparatively explores seminal novels by South African authors written in English and Afrikaans from the 1970s to 2010 through the prism of motherhood. Drawing on the work of theorist Mikhail Bakhtin, this book develops a transcultural approach to the study of literature and literary culture in postcolonial multilingual societies. 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 Stockenstrom.