Tonight, my toddler insisted on falling asleep with a book in her hands. No genetic testing needed. That’s my gal 🥰

England's right wing print newspapers were doing disinformation long before the platforms came along. A key example of why ownership matters - and how corrupting elites can wield media to their own ends. Talk about a country in need of media ethics and standards.

Nothing quite like completely changing the narrative of your novel a couple of months after you have begun to write it.

My mum heart is aching. I won’t see my babe until Wednesday next week!

In case you were confused.

How do we shift from simply being in attendance at gatherings to being in community? What defines the notion and reality of being in community for you?

“You seem happier.” Thanks, it’s @thebookerprizes.com longlist announcement day.

I greet you all in the name of @thebookerprizes.com longlist announcement today! 🥳

Let’s talk about books you’re convinced people pretend to like 👀

Kindest and most respectful people I’ve ever met.

Today two years ago. “Snow” in Jozi. That was fun.

You can always dream. At least.

In a world so full of terror, hatred, and suffering, you always have the opportunity and the chance to show another person kindness. Why would you ever choose not to? Have you known what kindness can feel like? It can feel like a lifeline.

Home

When I say “Africa”, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

More and more I’m learning that it is a significant privilege to have your children in close proximity to you.

It irks my English nerd heart that the em dash is now considered the trademark of generative AI, rather than one of the punctuation tools at a writer’s disposal in the artful crafting of a well-worded work. Ugh.

I, a bibliophile, once walked out of a bookstore without buying a book. Please clap.

Nothing I’ve done has humbled or nourished me quite like becoming a mother. It’s a constant breaking and building. Unlearning and moulding. Heartache and raw beauty. Vulnerability and strength. Every. Single. Day. It’s my whole world held in the tiniest pair of hands.

The Vietnamese word for a ladybird, bọ rùa, means “turtle bug.” The Ukrainian word, сонечко (sonechko), means “little sun.” And the Norwegian word, marihøne, means “Mary’s chicken.” But my favourite word for a ladybird will always be the Welsh buwch goch gota, which I’d translate as “stubby red cow”

I’m thinking of getting the chop. The hair chop. Going from long locks to a lot less. Husbae is hesitant. Talk me out of it?

One year. We made one year of breastfeeding. And I don’t mark the moment because I believe that I’m better than anyone else. When it comes to mums and their babes, and the wellbeing of both, fed IS best - whatever that looks like.

Okay, I'll bite: someone explain to me why diversity, equity, and inclusion are "very bad things" (as per Trump's criminally limited vocabulary)? And use the full words when you share your explanation.

I'm working on an article about workplace sexual harassment (in South Africa, specifically). If you have experienced sexual harassment or worked in an organisation where accusations of sexual harassment were made, I'd appreciate the chance to ask some questions. All interviews will be kept anonymous

We've been saving this little pup for when we thought you all might really need a gold star. And, given the current circumstances, here she is. 13/10

So, how are you... really?

For no reason whatsoever and in particular no reason that has anything to do with the leaders (official and otherwise) of the US, or the white men twirling for them here in South Africa, here’s a book recommendation:

My Vote Counts wants all political donations disclosed, no matter how small.

One upside of the Musk-Trump Administration is the ease with which the veil fell away from those racists who for so long have been hiding in plain sight. Business leaders Clients Suppliers Friends Family(!) Neighbors

This was a crucial discussion in the Organisational Transformation process at my former employer. One aspect we discussed in particular was the impact that 'white women's tears' inadvertently had in centering them in the stories/lived experiences of others.

How to Be a Good White Genocide Prophet in South Africa open.substack.com/pub/robynrea...

The babe is ten months old - and I have already had to order her another bookshelf 👀

My unread books greeting my new books:

I am currently reading a piece titled "Paying Attention to White Culture and Privilege: A Missing Link to Advancing Racial Equity" (link: giarts.org/article/payi...) and I am struck by this section, particularly in the context of all that's been going in South Africa:

Owning more books than you can read is a defiant act of hope.

Grief resists resolution.

My two favourite people in the whole world ❤️

I wrote something about the the alarmist, misleading, and anti-constitutional claims made by some critics of the Expropriation Act. constitutionallyspeaking.co.za/on-the-alarm...

Rise and run, babies! It’s new shoe day!

i hope it’s clear that big tech is not an ally. it only was as much as it was profitable. textboon rainbow capitalism, and now when they saw the writing on the wall, they flopped back into fascisms arms

We got a message from the university to remove any use of the "DEI", "diversity", "equity", or "inclusion" from all public-facing documents. They said that even "biodiversity" is being flagged by the federal government. We live in the dumbest timeline.

One frustrating thing about the way Mandela has been memorialised is that people immortalise him as a benign grandpa who wanted everyone to hold hands instead of the absolute fucking revolutionary that he was. Mandela sacrificed more in a single lifetime than most of the world put together.

Systemic racism almost completely disappears if you don’t count all the inbuilt parts of the system that are racist.

“For whatever reason, people of color have a higher incidence of maternal mortality."

I don’t know who needs to hear this (actually, I do) but apartheid was a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. If you think of it as anything other than one of the darkest marks on our nation, then you lack the capacity to acknowledge and accept the humanity of its victims. Shame on you.

Actual footage of me facing the daily horrors* of white genocide** in South Africa: *drinking my morning cuppa **while expressing at the office

Just bought a skinny cappuccino without being ethnically cleansed once. Amazing. The lovely cashier even gave me a smile—probably part of the plot. #WhatWhiteGenocide

Saying folks should simply "get over" a past injustice is not only callous but illustrates a particular sense of [willful] stupidity that's incredibly difficult to put into words that wouldn't, in turn, also be.. incredibly cruel & idiotic. *That's* the level of unconscionable.

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep - but I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep."