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Monster
Paperback
Publisher Price: $17.95
ISBN13: 9781780377261
Publisher: Bloodaxe Books
Published: Dec 3 2024
Pages: 136
Weight: 0.62
Height: 0.50 Width: 6.10 Depth: 9.10
Language: English
The exciting and complex debut collection from Dzifa Benson, Monster is a bold and lyrical exploration of the Black female body as a site of oppression and resistance. At its heart is a study of the world of Sarah Baartman, aka the Hottentot Venus, a Khoikhoi woman from South Africa who was displayed in freak shows in 19th-century Europe. Baartman's voice is framed within the social, political and legal structures of the day, offering a unique perspective.
Other poems draw clear parallels with Benson's own experience as a Black woman born in London but raised in Ghana who returned to the UK at the age of 18. The collection is a mix of vivid lyricism, sometimes laced with dark humour, using complex poetry, monologue and theatrical devices. The influence of Shakespeare sits comfortably with references to Ewe mythology and history in a collection of wide scope and depth. This is a highly accomplished first collection by a mature voice. As one of a small group of published Black women poets, Benson makes an important contribution to current British poetry with the publication of Monster.
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