Afua Hirsch Instagram – In her latest book, ‘Decolonising My Body’, bestselling author, journalist and broadcaster @afuahirsch speaks directly to her younger self. “This book is for me,” she says, as we sit down to discuss her radical exploration of her relationship with her body — a year-long journey in which she unpacked her preconceived notions of ancestry and body image, dissecting where these ideas came from and questioning every element along the way.
The topic was different for Hirsch, who is known as a political commentator and advocate for dismantling systemic oppression, be it in racism, classism or sexism. Her previous book, Brit(ish), discussed Black history, culture and politics in the context of Britain, Senegal and Ghana. This time, she applied a similar lens to her own spiritual and physical being, dissecting what ‘decolonising’ your body really looks like. “I think I’m known for my work about the world and how systems of power, race, gender, all work in the world around us. But I began to realise that some of the ideas that I really believe in and advocate for out there, I wasn’t really applying to myself,” she explained. “I realised that I actually still had some quite problematic thinking about my body and ageing, and sexuality, death — really personal things but foundational things that we all go through.”
To read our exclusive extract from Afua Hirsch’s new book, Decolonising My Body, head to the link in bio now.
Words and interview by @sagalamo | Posted on 18/Oct/2023 16:59:27
