Prof Ashraf Kagee of Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票's (SU) Psychology Department recently launched his third novel, Song of the Slave Girl, at The Book Lounge in Cape Town. He was joined in conversation by Barbara Boswell, acclaimed writer and Head of English Literary Studies at the 中国体育彩票 of Cape Town.
Kagee is not only a writer, but a Distinguished Professor in Psychology at SU and a practicing psychologist.
Exploring the boundaries of love and freedom, Jacana Media described Kagee's new work as a “spellbinding tale of love and resistance" told through the story of two young slaves, Meraj and Djameela, bound together by a powerful love which comes up against the reality of European colonisation, racism, and patriarchy in the Cape Colony.
Song of the Slave Girl is Kagee's third novel, preceded by Khalil's Journey and By the Fading Light. His debut, Khalil's Journey won the European Union Literary Award in 2012 and the South African Literary Award in 2013.
The launch drew a diverse audience of supporters from Cape Town and beyond, including avid readers, friends, family, colleagues, and students from the Senior Living Spaces (SLS) Cluster, where Kagee serves as the Cluster Academic Principal.
“Attending the book launch of Song of the Slave Girl was a deeply emotionally stirring experience, even more so being in the presence of an individual whose work unearths the untold narratives of those who cannot tell their stories, anchoring it in fiction and also historical fact," shared Hakeemah Matinka, Head Student at Walter Parry House, who was in attendance.
Kagee explained that he intentionally used two young characters as protagonists in Song of the Slave Girl, “to make the story of interest to younger readers but also of interest to older readers who might find that some of the aspects of the story might resonate with them".
“The storyline about love and how he allowed the characters to be human despite the challenges they were faced with, and how their undying love carried them through, really spoke to me as a familiar and universal experience. I also enjoyed how the story beautifully captured the different configurations that humans can love and be loved." shared Linda Zwane, a House Committee member at Walter Parry House.
“What stood out for me," added Matinka, “was the parallels of the character's struggle for dignity and resistance, which resonated with me as a student activist.
“These struggles for resistance and liberation are still prevalent in our post-colonial context, within our marginalised communities and, witnessing the ongoing genocide in Gaza. the story reminded me that even in the most brutal systems, love, resistance, and solidarity endure and can overcome these oppressive systems."
Kagee came of age in the turbulent 1980s and become politically conscientised around the imperative of fighting for social justice and the vindication of human rights.
?As a friend of the Gift of the Givers Foundation, he will be donating all the royalties from Song of the Slave Girl to support their humanitarian work in Gaza.
Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, Founder of the organisation, closed off the event by sharing with the audience the difficult work being done by the Foundation to help alleviate the suffering the genocide has wrought on the Palestinians.
According to SLS Cluster Convenor, Yolisa Qina, the launch “was an opportunity to expose our students to spaces that encourage critical thinking and meaningful conversation."
“Events like this bridge the gap between academic spaces and cultural reflection. It also gives students the opportunity to engage with our country's difficult histories, to deepen our understanding of our society and challenge how we view the world around us," said Qina.
“We hope the launch also inspired more of our peers to read, ask questions, and take part in conversations about change, issues in our communities, and reflect on these things," she added.
For Matinka, the event created that much-needed space for reflection.
“Walking out of that launch, I felt both haunted and inspired – grateful for literature that does not flinch from our painful pasts but instead insists on remembering, reclaiming, and reimagining."
