{"id":9893,"date":"2020-07-27T23:36:29","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T23:36:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/akefestival.org\/archive\/?p=9893"},"modified":"2020-07-28T01:37:43","modified_gmt":"2020-07-28T01:37:43","slug":"ten-questions-with-niq-mhlongo-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/akefestival.org\/archive\/ten-questions-with-nicole-dennis-bren","title":{"rendered":"TEN QUESTIONS With NICOLE DENNIS-BERN"},"content":{"rendered":"

What does Ake Festival 2019 theme \u2018Black Bodies, Grey Matter\u2019 mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This theme resonates in so many ways. My books embody these themes, tackling the social, physical, psychological, and emotional impact of post-colonial trauma. Black bodies have always been grounds for exploitation and violence. We have never had ownership of our bodies, especially as black women. Also, as a people we carry our traumas, assuming time and silence would bury them. We\u2019re told how strong we are, how our \u201cAfricanness\u201d or \u201cJamaicanness\u201d trumps vulnerability; yet we ignore the psychological and physiological impact. I believe that having discourse about our bodies, sexuality, traumas, and mental health can be healing and empowering.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Which African or Diasporan novel do you think best explores the Black Body?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I would say my first novel, Here Comes the Sun<\/em>, and The Gerald Kraak Anthology: African Perspectives on Gender, Social Justice, and Sexuality<\/em> (As You Like It, Vol II).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You are asked to write an African femme fatale<\/em> as an alien. What physical attributes would she have?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lupita Nyong\u2019o\u2019s gorgeous complexion; and Michelle Obama and Angela Bassett\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What book would you give to a dark-skinned young woman who has expressed an intent to buy bleaching cream?<\/strong><\/p>\n

To be honest, I\u2019d give her any book featuring dark-skinned black girls and women. I know I write about colourism in my works, but I\u2019d start off a young girl with an image with affirming messages about being dark-skinned and beautiful<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Does the African writer have a specific role to play in the current world order?<\/strong><\/p>\n

All writers have a special role to play by challenging reader to transcend their own understanding of the world and empathise with others.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Which person do you think best represents an African perspective in the ongoing discourse on gender?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah and Pulma Dineo Gqola.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You\u2019re giving a talk at a symposium on mental health, which African or Diasporan novels will you reference?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My second novel, Patsy;<\/em> and Breath, Eyes, Memory<\/em> by Edwidge Danticat.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Name a character from an African novel that you could rewrite as a different gender, and why.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I wouldn\u2019t do anything different from what the writer intended. There is a lot of labour behind choosing who gets to tell the story.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What two things should every teenager understand about mental health<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

That mental health is as important as your physical health; and it\u2019s okay to acknowledge the need to take care of it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is your vision for the Black body?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My vision for the black body is that one day we, especially as black women, can achieve the ultimate freedom in our bodies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What does Ake Festival 2019 theme \u2018Black Bodies, Grey Matter\u2019 mean to you? This theme resonates in so many ways. My books embody these themes, tackling the social, physical, psychological, <\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tenquestions"],"yoast_head":"\nTEN QUESTIONS With NICOLE DENNIS-BERN - Ake Arts & Book Festival<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/akefestival.org\/archive\/ten-questions-with-nicole-dennis-bren\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"TEN QUESTIONS With NICOLE DENNIS-BERN - Ake Arts & Book Festival\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What does Ake Festival 2019 theme \u2018Black Bodies, Grey Matter\u2019 mean to you? 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