Hirsch, Afua: Decolonising My Body

‘Remarkable‘ Observer ‘Intimate‘ Guardian ‘Vital‘ i newspaper Our bodies tell our story. Upon turning forty, Afua Hirsch had an encounter that forever altered her preconceived notions of ancestry and body image, making her question everything from body-modification rituals such as tattoos and piercings to the foundations of sexuality. Decolonising My Body charts her year-long journey of radical unlearning. Bringing together global scholarship, on-the-ground reportage, personal anecdotes and interviews with beauty experts, practitioners and service users, Hirsch reassesses notions of body image beyond those of the colonial, patriarchal gaze. Taking us from puberty to end-of-life, she shows us that the ways in which we adorn and present ourselves have spiritual implications and shape the possibilities we see for ourselves in the world. ‘Celebrates women how they are, as they are‘ Gillian Anderson ‘A generous offering, and a joy filled testimony‘ Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah ‘A breath of fresh air . . . A travel book, a beauty book and a history book all in one‘ New Statesman