'Groundbreaking ... a scintillating,intellectual investigation into black women and the very serious business of our hair,as it pertains to race,gender,social codes,tradition,culture,cosmology,maths,politics,philosophy and history'- Bernardine Evaristo
From women's solidarity and friendship to forgotten African scholars and the dubious provenance of Kim Kardashian's braids,the scope of black hairstyling ranges from pop culture to cosmology,from prehistoric times to the (afro)futuristic.
Uncovering sophisticated indigenous mathematical systems in black hairstyles,alongside styles that served as secret intelligence networks leading enslaved Africans to freedom,Don't Touch My Hair proves that far from being only hair, black hairstyling culture can be understood as an allegory for black oppression and,ultimately,liberation.
Publisher: Penguin Books LtdISBN: 9780141986289Number of pages: 256Weight: 191 gDimensions: 198 x 129 x 15 mm
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'Emma Dabiri's groundbreaking Don't Touch My Hair is a scintillating,intellectual investigation into black women and the very serious business of our hair,as it pertains to race,gender,social codes,tradition,culture,cosmology,maths,politics,philosophy and history,and also the role of hairstyles in pre-colonial Africa'- The Times Literary Supplement
'I've been pleasantly engrossed this autumn in Emma Dabiri's nonfiction debut Don't Touch My Hair. Part memoir,part spiky,thoroughly researched socio-political analysis,it delves deep into the painful realities and history of follicular racism'- Diane Evans,The Observer
'Groundbreaking...Her sources are rich,diverse and sometimes heartbreaking. Some books make us feel seen and for me,that is what Don't Touch My Hair does. I would urge everyone to read it'- The Guardian
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