Paulet House writer publishes debut poetry collection with uHlanga

Local poetry press, uHlanga, calls Disabled, But, the debut poetry collection by Kirsten Deane, evidence of a powerful and essential new voice in South African poetry.

“In Disabled, But, Deane tells the story of her disobedient and uncontrollable body, and sharing it with her family, her community and her lovers,” writes the publisher. “Finely poised and subtly subversive, the poems here explore Deane’s experiences of self-love and internalised hatred; of being a young woman who wants to shrink even as she grows; of learning to live with pain and discomfort as constant close companions – even as trusted friends.”

Deane is a disability researcher and activist, editor and participant of The Jakes Gerwel Foundation’s 2023 PEN it Down residency in collaboration with PEN Afrikaans and PEN South Africa. She answers a couple of quick questions for us:

What does it mean to you to have your debut poetry collection published?

It’s a very weird feeling. I think I’m still struggling to process it. For me, it means that there’s a need for what I have to share, it means being seen in a new way. My biggest priority has and always will be the simple act of writing. Yes, publishing is important, but the most important thing is to nurture your relationship with writing, continuously growing your love for the craft. When we start focusing on publishing instead of writing, we diminish our connection to the craft. So for me, having my debut poetry collection published is a gift to the craft and an act of gratitude for how it’s carried me.

Was it difficult to curate which of your poems should go or stay in this project?

Not really. All of the poems were written during a very specific time in my life. I’m the type of person who is continuously and willingly changing. I’m extremely different from who I was last year, the year before that, and the year before that. It’s vital to my writing and how I write. So with these poems, I knew which ones to include because they all reflect who I was and who I’m becoming.

Why is it important to you to write about these personal yet difficult themes?

I don’t really know how to write about anything else. Even when I write about the experiences of others, I find that we are all connected in some way, and we all become intertwined with each other. That’s the undeniable human connection, it’s the human purpose, it’s the whole point of being human. For me, writing about these personal themes means that there’s an opportunity for somebody to intertwine with me, to connect with me, to continue the only act that matters: connection and empathy.

Kirsten Deane holds a BA (Hons) in English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing, both from the University of the Western Cape. An avid disability researcher and activist, she is also the lead editor for English Alive, South Africa’s oldest publication for young writers.