Head, Bessie 1937-1986
Overview
Works: | 224 works in 824 publications in 12 languages and 16,265 library holdings |
---|---|
Genres: | Fiction Biography History Biographies Short stories Records and correspondence Criticism, interpretation, etc Interviews Comics (Graphic works) Comic books, strips, etc |
Roles: | Author, Author of introduction, Creator, Other, Interviewee |
Classifications: | PR9369.3.H4, 823 |
Publication Timeline
.
Most widely held works about
Bessie Head
- Bessie Head by Craig MacKenzie( Book )
- A woman alone : autobiographical writings by Bessie Head( Book )
- Bessie Head : thunder behind her ears : her life and writing by Gillian Stead Eilersen( Book )
- Achebe, Head, Marechera : on power and change in Africa by Annie Gagiano( Book )
- A gesture of belonging : letters from Bessie Head, 1965-1979 by Bessie Head( Book )
- The Tragic life : Bessie Head and literature in Southern Africa( Book )
- Critical essays on Bessie Head( Book )
- Bessie Head : the road of peace of mind : a critical appreciation by Joyce Johnson( Book )
- Bessie Head : subversive identities in exile by Huma Ibrahim( Book )
- The Road of Peace of Mind A Critical Appreciation by Joyce Johnson( )
- The creative vision of Bessie Head by Coreen Brown( Book )
- Monstrous intimacies : making post-slavery subjects by Christina Elizabeth Sharpe( Book )
- The life and works of Bessie Head by Virginia Uzoma Ola( Book )
- Emerging perspectives on Bessie Head( Book )
- Living on a horizon : Bessie Head and the politics of imagining by Desiree Lewis( Book )
- Artists of the floating world : contemporary writers between cultures by Robert Stacey Burton( Book )
- Examining whiteness : reading Clarice Lispector through Bessie Head and Toni Morrison by Lúcia Villares( Book )
- Contemporary Black biography, profiles from the international Black community by Gale (Firm)( )
- An aspect of the South African experience in literature and reading by Suleiman Jaji( Book )
- Forceful creation in harsh terrain : place and identity in three novels by Bessie Head by Maria Olaussen( Book )
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Most widely held works by
Bessie Head
A question of power by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
72 editions published between 1973 and 2017 in 6 languages and held by 1,462 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
It is never clear to Elizabeth whether the mission principal's cruel revelations of her origins is at the bottom of her mental breakdown, but in the dark loneliness of the Botswanan night, the frightened South African refugee slips in and out of sanity
72 editions published between 1973 and 2017 in 6 languages and held by 1,462 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
It is never clear to Elizabeth whether the mission principal's cruel revelations of her origins is at the bottom of her mental breakdown, but in the dark loneliness of the Botswanan night, the frightened South African refugee slips in and out of sanity
When rain clouds gather by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
92 editions published between 1968 and 2017 in 7 languages and held by 1,441 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
It takes a young black idealist, newly arrived from the oppression of South Africa to spur his new neighbors to face reality and control their own destiny
92 editions published between 1968 and 2017 in 7 languages and held by 1,441 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
It takes a young black idealist, newly arrived from the oppression of South Africa to spur his new neighbors to face reality and control their own destiny
Maru by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
89 editions published between 1971 and 2016 in 9 languages and held by 1,329 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
The moving tale of an ophaned Masarwa girl who goes to teach in a remote village in Botswana where her own people are kept as slaves. Her presence polarises a community which does not see Masarwa people as human, and condemns her to the lonely life of an outcast
89 editions published between 1971 and 2016 in 9 languages and held by 1,329 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
The moving tale of an ophaned Masarwa girl who goes to teach in a remote village in Botswana where her own people are kept as slaves. Her presence polarises a community which does not see Masarwa people as human, and condemns her to the lonely life of an outcast
The collector of treasures, and other Botswana village tales by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
66 editions published between 1977 and 2014 in 8 languages and held by 973 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A collection of short stories based on life in a Botswanan village, including the story of a woman who murders the husband who deserted her years before
66 editions published between 1977 and 2014 in 8 languages and held by 973 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A collection of short stories based on life in a Botswanan village, including the story of a woman who murders the husband who deserted her years before
African short stories(
Book
)
1 edition published in 1985 in English and held by 818 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A collection of stories by African writers which deal with life and customs in African society
1 edition published in 1985 in English and held by 818 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A collection of stories by African writers which deal with life and customs in African society
Tales of tenderness and power by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
35 editions published between 1989 and 2006 in 5 languages and held by 662 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Qu'elle évoque l'histoire ou puise dans la tradition, Bessie Head (1937-1986), Métisse d'origine sud-africaine, fait vivre un peuple entier, ses conflits mortels, bien au-delà du clivage Blancs-Noirs, mais aussi ses luttes, sa dignité à travers les pires calamités et le regard sans pareil qu'il porte sur le monde. 20 contes et nouvelles vibrant de joie, de désespoir et de colère
35 editions published between 1989 and 2006 in 5 languages and held by 662 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Qu'elle évoque l'histoire ou puise dans la tradition, Bessie Head (1937-1986), Métisse d'origine sud-africaine, fait vivre un peuple entier, ses conflits mortels, bien au-delà du clivage Blancs-Noirs, mais aussi ses luttes, sa dignité à travers les pires calamités et le regard sans pareil qu'il porte sur le monde. 20 contes et nouvelles vibrant de joie, de désespoir et de colère
Serowe, village of the rain wind by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
29 editions published between 1981 and 2008 in English and Undetermined and held by 646 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Autobiographies of individual villagers arranged in thematic chapters
29 editions published between 1981 and 2008 in English and Undetermined and held by 646 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Autobiographies of individual villagers arranged in thematic chapters
The cardinals : with meditations and short stories by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
19 editions published between 1993 and 2006 in English and held by 476 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A novella and seven stories by a black South African writer. The title novella is on a woman who at birth is sold by her mother to a childless couple and who runs away when the stepfather begins molesting her. Eventually she obtains a job as a reporter on a black newspaper, where she finds love. Through her eyes is seen the struggle against apartheid
19 editions published between 1993 and 2006 in English and held by 476 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A novella and seven stories by a black South African writer. The title novella is on a woman who at birth is sold by her mother to a childless couple and who runs away when the stepfather begins molesting her. Eventually she obtains a job as a reporter on a black newspaper, where she finds love. Through her eyes is seen the struggle against apartheid
To stir the heart by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
5 editions published in 2007 in English and held by 190 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"These powerful stories by two of Africa’s most renowned twentieth-century authors explore African cultures at the intersection of tradition and modernity, colonialism, and independence. Botswana’s preeminent writer Bessie Head and Ngugi wa Thiong’o, “the most significant East African writer” (the New York Times), each use the politics and history of Africa in the midst of change as background for compelling stories of characters who, like their countries, are in search of their identity. In different ways, Head and Ngugi also chart the uneasy coexistence of men and women when their individual natures and desires conflict with societal expectations and customs." -- Publisher's description
5 editions published in 2007 in English and held by 190 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"These powerful stories by two of Africa’s most renowned twentieth-century authors explore African cultures at the intersection of tradition and modernity, colonialism, and independence. Botswana’s preeminent writer Bessie Head and Ngugi wa Thiong’o, “the most significant East African writer” (the New York Times), each use the politics and history of Africa in the midst of change as background for compelling stories of characters who, like their countries, are in search of their identity. In different ways, Head and Ngugi also chart the uneasy coexistence of men and women when their individual natures and desires conflict with societal expectations and customs." -- Publisher's description
Sol Plaatje's Native life in South Africa : past and present(
)
2 editions published in 2016 in English and held by 171 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
First published in 1916, Sol Plaatje{u2019}s Native Life in South Africa was written by one of the South Africa{u2019}s most talented early twentieth-century black leaders and journalists. Plaatje{u2019}s pioneering book arose out of an early African National Congress campaign to protest against the discriminatory1913 Natives Land Act. Native Life vividly narrates Plaatje{u2019}s investigative journeying into South Africa{u2019}s rural heartlands to report on the effects of the Act and his involvement in the deputation to the British imperial government. At the same time it tells the bigger story of the assault on black rights and opportunities in the newly consolidated Union of South Africa - and the resistance to it. Originally published in war-time London, but about South Africa and its place in the world, Native Life travelled far and wide, being distributed in the United States under the auspices of prominent African-American W E B Du Bois. South African editions were to follow only in the late apartheid period and beyond. The aim of this multi-authored volume is to shed new light on how and why Native Life came into being at a critical historical juncture, and to reflect on how it can be read in relation to South Africa{u2019}s heightened challenges today. Crucial areas that come under the spotlight in this collection include land, race, history, mobility, belonging, war, the press, law, literature, language, gender, politics, and the state
2 editions published in 2016 in English and held by 171 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
First published in 1916, Sol Plaatje{u2019}s Native Life in South Africa was written by one of the South Africa{u2019}s most talented early twentieth-century black leaders and journalists. Plaatje{u2019}s pioneering book arose out of an early African National Congress campaign to protest against the discriminatory1913 Natives Land Act. Native Life vividly narrates Plaatje{u2019}s investigative journeying into South Africa{u2019}s rural heartlands to report on the effects of the Act and his involvement in the deputation to the British imperial government. At the same time it tells the bigger story of the assault on black rights and opportunities in the newly consolidated Union of South Africa - and the resistance to it. Originally published in war-time London, but about South Africa and its place in the world, Native Life travelled far and wide, being distributed in the United States under the auspices of prominent African-American W E B Du Bois. South African editions were to follow only in the late apartheid period and beyond. The aim of this multi-authored volume is to shed new light on how and why Native Life came into being at a critical historical juncture, and to reflect on how it can be read in relation to South Africa{u2019}s heightened challenges today. Crucial areas that come under the spotlight in this collection include land, race, history, mobility, belonging, war, the press, law, literature, language, gender, politics, and the state
A bewitched crossroad : an African saga by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
10 editions published between 1984 and 1986 in English and held by 148 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
10 editions published between 1984 and 1986 in English and held by 148 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
The cardinals, with meditations and stories by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
7 editions published between 1993 and 1995 in English and held by 100 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A novella and seven stories by a black South African writer. The title novella is on a woman who at birth is sold by her mother to a childless couple and who runs away when the stepfather begins molesting her. Eventually she obtains a job as a reporter on a black newspaper, where she finds love. Through her eyes is seen the struggle against apartheid
7 editions published between 1993 and 1995 in English and held by 100 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A novella and seven stories by a black South African writer. The title novella is on a woman who at birth is sold by her mother to a childless couple and who runs away when the stepfather begins molesting her. Eventually she obtains a job as a reporter on a black newspaper, where she finds love. Through her eyes is seen the struggle against apartheid
Between the lines : interviews with Bessie Head, Sheila Roberts, Ellen Kuzwayo, Miriam Tlali(
Book
)
5 editions published in 1989 in English and held by 99 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
5 editions published in 1989 in English and held by 99 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
The lovers by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
11 editions published between 1994 and 2011 in English and held by 92 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A collection of the author's short fiction written between 1965 and 1980, mainly in Serowe, Botswana, depicting the lives and loves of African village people pre- and post- independence
11 editions published between 1994 and 2011 in English and held by 92 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A collection of the author's short fiction written between 1965 and 1980, mainly in Serowe, Botswana, depicting the lives and loves of African village people pre- and post- independence
A woman alone : autobiographical writings by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
18 editions published between 1990 and 2007 in English and Undetermined and held by 75 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Born in South Africa in 1937, the result of an 'illicit' union between a black man and a white woman, Bessie Head's life was a traumatic one ending in permanent self exile in Botswana where she remained for 15 years with the status of 'refugee' for 15 years until she gained citizenship. [first page]
18 editions published between 1990 and 2007 in English and Undetermined and held by 75 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Born in South Africa in 1937, the result of an 'illicit' union between a black man and a white woman, Bessie Head's life was a traumatic one ending in permanent self exile in Botswana where she remained for 15 years with the status of 'refugee' for 15 years until she gained citizenship. [first page]
When rain clouds gather ; & Maru by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
4 editions published in 2010 in English and held by 63 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
When rain clouds gather - "Escaping South Africa and his troubled past, Makehaya crosses the border to Botswana in the hope of leading a peaceful, purposeful life. In the village of Golema Mmidi he meets Gilbert, a charismatic Englishman, who is trying to help the community out of poverty by introducing modern farming methods."--Maru - "Since birth, Margaret, an orphan from a despised tribe, has been lovingly protected by a missionaries wife ... But in a place where her people are considered slave, can Margaret ever truly belong?"--Back cover
4 editions published in 2010 in English and held by 63 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
When rain clouds gather - "Escaping South Africa and his troubled past, Makehaya crosses the border to Botswana in the hope of leading a peaceful, purposeful life. In the village of Golema Mmidi he meets Gilbert, a charismatic Englishman, who is trying to help the community out of poverty by introducing modern farming methods."--Maru - "Since birth, Margaret, an orphan from a despised tribe, has been lovingly protected by a missionaries wife ... But in a place where her people are considered slave, can Margaret ever truly belong?"--Back cover
Call me woman by
Ellen Kuzwayo(
Book
)
9 editions published between 1985 and 2018 in English and Undetermined and held by 62 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Call Me Woman is the autobiography of Ellen Kuzwayo, a black South African woman whose life as a social worker, woman's rights activist, politican, and more was woven in political history of South Africa for almost 60 years. Kuzwayo 's autobiography documents a complex series of changes in herself and her culture, including the onset and devastation of apartheid. Ms. Kuzwayo was the first black person to win South Africa's premier literary prize, the CNS Literary Award."--Jacket
9 editions published between 1985 and 2018 in English and Undetermined and held by 62 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
"Call Me Woman is the autobiography of Ellen Kuzwayo, a black South African woman whose life as a social worker, woman's rights activist, politican, and more was woven in political history of South Africa for almost 60 years. Kuzwayo 's autobiography documents a complex series of changes in herself and her culture, including the onset and devastation of apartheid. Ms. Kuzwayo was the first black person to win South Africa's premier literary prize, the CNS Literary Award."--Jacket
When rain clouds gather : and related readings by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
3 editions published in 1997 in English and held by 49 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A South African refugee begins a new life in a village in Botswana
3 editions published in 1997 in English and held by 49 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
A South African refugee begins a new life in a village in Botswana
Deep cuts : graphic adaptations of stories by
Can Themba(
Book
)
1 edition published in 1993 in English and held by 49 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
1 edition published in 1993 in English and held by 49 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Wenn der Regen fällt : Erzählungen aus Südafrika by
Bessie Head(
Book
)
3 editions published between 1988 and 1991 in German and held by 30 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Belletristik : Südafrika (Republik) ; Erzählungen
3 editions published between 1988 and 1991 in German and held by 30 WorldCat member libraries worldwide
Belletristik : Südafrika (Republik) ; Erzählungen
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Audience Level
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Kids | General | Special |

- MacKenzie, Craig 1960- Other Author Editor
- Achebe, Chinua
- Gordimer, Nadine Author of introduction
- Aidoo, Ama Ata 1942-
- Sembène, Ousmane 1923-2007
- Innes, Catherine Lynette
- Kibera, Leonard
- Ṣāliḥ, al-Ṭayyib
- Essop, Ahmed 1931-
- Gwala, Mafika Pascal 1946-
Useful Links
Associated Subjects
Achebe, Chinua Africa Africa, Southern African Americans in popular culture African literature (English) Authors, South African Baartman, Sarah Botswana Botswanan fiction (English) Botswana--Serowe Decolonization in literature Exile (Punishment) in literature Exiles Exiles in literature Feminism and literature Head, Bessie, Julien, Isaac Kuzwayo, Ellen Literature Literature and society Manners and customs Marechera, Dambudzo Political and social views Politics and literature Power (Social sciences) Power (Social sciences) in literature Race relations Racially mixed people Racism in literature Romanticism Rural conditions Sexism in literature Short stories, African Short stories, African (English) Short stories, South African (English) Social change Social change in literature Social conditions Social norms in literature Social reformers South Africa United States Vigne, Randolph Women Women, Black--Social conditions Women and literature Women authors, South African Women refugees Women slaves--Social conditions Women teachers
Covers
Alternative Names
Bessie Head
Bessie Head botswanische Schriftstellerin
Bessie Head romanschrijfster uit Zuid-Afrika (1937-1986)
Bessie Head scrittrice botswana
Emery, Bessie Amelia
Head, Bessie
Head, Bessie 1937-
Head, Bessie Amelia
Head, Bessie Emery
Head, Bessie Emery 1937-1986
Хед, Бесси
بيسي حيد
베시 헤드
헤드, 베시 1937-1986
ベッシー・ヘッド
ヘッド, ベッシー
贝茜·海德
Languages