By Philisiwe Twinjistra
This collection of short stories explores the breadth of magical realism, speculative fiction and fantasy. Twijnstra portrays women who succeed in the face of brutality.
Black women lead these stories as protagonists, and they enter magical, terrifying and spellbinding worlds. These worlds span stories set in the past, present and future.
Surreal worlds and feminist imagination
Inspired by the haunting allure of Her Body and Other Parties, the raw intensity of Freshwater, and the unsettling atmosphere of Intruders, these stories create a bold, darkly imaginative realm. In this realm, survival is redefined, and power is claimed on unexpected terms.
Flying Cows and Other Traumas takes readers on a journey through surreal and unsettling worlds. It also disrupts the ordinary through strange and malevolent forces. In Flying Cows and Other Traumas, Twijnstra explores family dysfunction, resilience and survival through a Black feminist lens.
Set in Black South African townships and imagined African kingdoms, the stories follow each protagonist across different narrative arcs. Each character faces brutality and emerges victorious in unexpected ways.
Flying Cows and Other Traumas continues to examine how trauma and transformation intersect. It ultimately shows how resilience can emerge from chaos and rupture.
About the author
Philisiwe Twijnstra is a South African interdisciplinary artist. Her work explores speculative fiction and centres Black queer women. Twijnstra holds an MA in Creative Writing from Rhodes University.
She has received several awards for her work. The Mail & Guardian also included her in its Top 200 Young South Africans in 2023. In addition, Twijnstra works as a writing coach and development producer based in the Netherlands.
- DISTRIBUTOR | Jacana Media |
- ISBN | 9781431435982 |
- Recommended Retail Price | R240.00 |
- Classification | Fiction |
