WRITER

Bessie Head

1937 - 1986

Photo of Bessie Head

Icon of person Bessie Head

Bessie Amelia Emery Head (6 July 1937 – 17 April 1986) was a South African writer who, though born in South Africa, is usually considered Botswana's most influential writer. She wrote novels, short fiction and autobiographical works that are infused with spiritual questioning and reflection. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Bessie Head has received more than 286,367 page views. Her biography is available in 20 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 19 in 2019). Bessie Head is the 6,543rd most popular writer (down from 5,845th in 2019), the 229th most popular biography from South Africa (down from 186th in 2019) and the 19th most popular South African Writer.

Memorability Metrics

  • 290k

    Page Views (PV)

  • 40.25

    Historical Popularity Index (HPI)

  • 20

    Languages Editions (L)

  • 2.00

    Effective Languages (L*)

  • 3.78

    Coefficient of Variation (CV)

Notable Works

Tales of tenderness and power
Short stories, South African (English)
1989
Maru
Fiction
1971
A question of power
Fiction, Women teachers, Women teachers in fiction
1972
When rain clouds gather
Apartheid
The good thing that power can bring,not to only oppress other people
1969
A bewitched crossroad
History, Fiction
1984
Serowe, village of the Rainwind
Social life and customs, History, Histoire
1981

Among WRITERS

Among writers, Bessie Head ranks 6,543 out of 7,302. Before her are Eric Linklater, Didier Van Cauwelaert, Dimitris Lyacos, Katharine Gun, Alice Hoffman, and Geetanjali Shree. After her are E. Pauline Johnson, Dinah Craik, Nele Neuhaus, William Monahan, Greg Daniels, and Andrey Malakhov.

Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1937, Bessie Head ranks 533. Before her are Judy Tegart-Dalton, David Seidler, Del Harris, Elinor Donahue, Bruce Johnstone, and Jenő Kamuti. After her are Mel Pender, Lorne Loomer, Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri, Jarosława Jóźwiakowska, Jeremiah P. Ostriker, and Eleanor Holmes Norton. Among people deceased in 1986, Bessie Head ranks 293. Before her are Rudy Vallée, Robert Helpmann, Dinny Pails, Hank Greenberg, Dorothy Ashby, and Anna Neagle. After her are Richard van der Riet Woolley, Romeo Rivers, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Paul Frees, Jerry Paris, and Roberto Hodge.

Others Born in 1937

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Others Deceased in 1986

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In South Africa

Among people born in South Africa, Bessie Head ranks 229 out of 454. Before her are Bruce Johnstone (1937), William Ferguson (1940), Thomas François Burgers (1834), Louis Hayward (1909), Brenda Fassie (1964), and Musetta Vander (1963). After her are Linda Mvusi (1955), Mark González (1984), Hans Vonk (1970), Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri (1937), Kevin Anderson (1986), and Aaron Mokoena (1980).

Others born in South Africa

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Among WRITERS In South Africa

Among writers born in South Africa, Bessie Head ranks 19. Before her are Andrew Murray (1828), Elsa Joubert (1922), Antjie Krog (1952), Athol Fugard (1932), Karel Schoeman (1939), and Damon Galgut (1963). After her are John Langalibalele Dube (1871), Fatima Meer (1928), Es'kia Mphahlele (1919), Gcina Mhlophe (1958), Zoleka Mandela (1980), and Lauren Beukes (1976).

South African born Writers

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