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Decolonising My Body

A Radical Exploration of Rituals and Beauty

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

How do we determine what is beautiful? Whose standards are we trying to meet when we spend our hard-earned money on our haircare, skincare and makeup; where do they come from, and how can we learn to undo them?

Upon getting her first tattoo at 40 years old, award-winning journalist Afua Hirsch embarked on a journey to reclaim her body from the colonial ideas of purity, adornment and ageing she - and many of us - absorbed while growing up. Informed by research from around the world, Afua will look at how individual and collective notions of what is beautiful are constructed or stripped away from us. Through personal anecdotes, interviews from beauty experts, practitioners and service users, she explores the global history of skin, hair and body modification rituals. These insights and discoveries will empower listeners to reconnect with their cultures of origin, better understand the link between beauty and politics, and liberate themselves from mainstream beauty standards that aren't serving them.

©2023 Afua Hirsch (P)2023 Penguin Audio Anthropology Beauty, Grooming & Style Thought-Provoking
All stars
Most relevant
Before I read this book I made a whole lot of assumptions about the themes that would be discussed and I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Instead what I received is the gift of why I love reading. The chance to learn and to think and to consider new thoughts.

I often think of my blackness which can be gleaned from the choices of books I’ve read over the years and I’ve never felt a connection with any conventional religion and it’s only been since approaching my 50th birthday in 2024 that I started developing awareness of the possible spiritual practices of my ancestors.

This is the book I didn’t know I needed. Without the influence of this book for my birthday I had 3 tattoos done, then a further two all of significance to me and not yet linked with my ancestors and feel validated that doing what my parents would disapprove of was actually absolutely an ode to my authentic self as is the septum piercing I got.

I know want to experience similar things to what Afua has in her delving into of her ancestral self devoid of colonialistic influence.

If you are a black woman in the diaspora then, dare I say, this is a MUST read.

Thank you Afua.

Mind and life changing

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What a beautiful affirming book.
Afua has given us permission to decolonise ourselves, find ourselves and embrace our ancestry. The book we needed

My heart is bursting

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Powerful and reflective. The book encourages further exploration and reading. It was empowering hearing the origins of my ancestral traditions

insightful research

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It’s a short book, but it’s an insightful and empowering exploration of beauty, gender and race. The idea of freeing oneself from mainstream beauty standards that don’t benefit us really resonated with me. Highly recommended!

Insightful & Empowering

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I loved EVERYTHING about this book! The way each story was interwoven from Afua’s personal life into often forgotten historical facts, was so beautifully articulated and read by Afua herself. Her voice is familiar, soothing and captivating! I would highly recommend this book, I’m really sad it’s over!

Praying her next book is released soon.

Captivating, educational and uplifting!

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