Shari Maluleke, photo: provided; Fluid book cover: Karavan Press
Short.Sharp.Stories is a platform showcasing top and emerging South African fiction writers. The theme of this year’s anthology is Fluid – freedom to be. Fluid, this year’s Short.Sharp.Stories anthology, seeks to engage fictional expression around identity, culture and society.
Joanne Hichens conducts interviews with the respective short story writers.
Below is a mini-interview between Joanne Hichens and Shari Maluleke, author of the short story “A lone floating flower” in the 2023 Short.Sharp.Stories anthology, Fluid.
Shari Maluleke is an intersectional activist and writer. Pronouns are they/she or them/her. She believes in dismantling all systems of oppression. As the cofounder of the Menstrual Project, she believes that menstruation safety should be accessible for all. “We live in a world that deprives many of basic needs for profit, and to allow people to live without basic resources should be considered a crime against humanity.” Shari writes:
My story, “A lone floating flower”, was inspired by my experience of fangirling. A few years ago, my sister forced me to watch a video of seven wholesome South Korean men being funny, and from then on, I became a BTS (also known as the Bangtan Boys) fangirl; my bias and hyper-fixation was Park Jimin. I became the ultimate Park Jimin stan (an extremely or excessively enthusiastic and devoted fan).
JH: Would you tell us more of your love of fangirling, which for the uninitiated is: “exhibiting the excitement of fandom to an excessive degree”?
When I was a child, I was a huge Jonas Brothers fangirl, and so almost 11 years later, I tapped back into the world of boy bands to write my story. My obsession now isn’t as bad as it used to be, although at the beginning of the lockdown I watched videos of BTS (Bangtan Boy Band) for hours – the perfect form of escapism from the burning world around me. I developed a crush on seven strangers. BTS was a light I needed in a very dark time. They managed to make me laugh, and for that I am forever grateful.
Fangirling also allowed me to tap into my very passionate self. It showed me how hard and deeply I could love things. I found a whole new genre of music, found a community of friends whom I still talk to today, and discovered good and bad things about myself – I didn’t realise how easily I could become jealous and envious until I started watching videos of BTS members flirting with other people. It was a very interesting hyper-fixation phase of my life.
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I felt very vulnerable during the writing process. I was forced to confront numerous inner demons, and by demons I mean biases and prejudices towards certain topics.
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JH: Your irreverent story – based on fangirling – features Amandla, a young woman who goes over the top with her devotion. I loved it! Was it fun to write?
It was really fun for me, but it was also a rollercoaster of emotions. I felt very vulnerable during the writing process. I was forced to confront numerous inner demons, and by demons I mean biases and prejudices towards certain topics. This short story was really the beginning of my journey as an erotic writer. I still have so much further to go, but I’m excited about all the things I could write. It was a lovely process of self-discovery, from the inspiration of BTS, to the long hours of planning it, to the months dedicated to the characters. I would do it all again if I could.
JH: The story includes a sexy masturbation scene. How difficult (or easy) was this to write?
SM: It was incredibly difficult to write this scene. I felt a bit squeamish writing this. I was forced to confront feelings of shame I carry towards sex and intimacy as a black femme. During the lockdown, I started to read erotic fiction, and I found it problematic how a good deal of young writers fantasised about violent sex as good sex, and more importantly, how numerous writers misconstrued rape culture in their writing as pleasurable. I was uncomfortable with how the lines of sex and violence were often blurred. So, when I wrote a masturbation scene for the first time, it forced me to confront difficult issues around sex. What does consent look like? Does sex have to be rough for it to be good? Is sex only valid or enjoyable if it’s with another person?
Culturally, I grew up in a religious family with religious ideals. Even though I don’t believe or follow those practices anymore, the lack of discussing sex, and the shame around sex, are still in me. However, erotic writing has not only started to change my views on sex, but it has also changed my views of my body as well. Female masturbation is such a critical part of self-love, but it is hardly discussed.
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What does consent look like? Does sex have to be rough for it to be good? Is sex only valid or enjoyable if it’s with another person?
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JH: This talk of the female body brings me to ask about your work as cofounder of the Menstrual Project. Would you please tell us a little more about the work you do and the challenges you face?
SM: My organisation aims to destigmatise menstruation and fight period poverty. Menstruation stigma affects many girls and women in South Africa, especially those who cannot afford sanitary products (which is a large proportion of the South African population).
We offer education to whoever needs or wants it through workshops. We host creative events, too, such as painting or poetry sessions. We try to educate as many people as possible through online platforms – whether it’s by teaching or by sharing information on our social media platforms.
We believe that every menstruator has the right to dignity and respect. There’s nothing better than the joy experienced in a workshop when participants realise that they have every right to feel, experience and love their bodies. Last year, we collaborated with the Queen’s Goals and held a workshop with young women from Diepsloot. One of the facilitators asked: “What has the Menstrual Project taught you?” One of the young girls answered: “The project has taught us to love ourselves.” I have never forgotten that moment. In a world that profits off our insecurities, loving ourselves is a form of protest and resistance.
The biggest challenges we face are really around funding and resources. Access to more funding could help us reach more people and encourage the donation of more products such as menstrual cups, period panties and reusable pads. These products are more affordable, are better for your body and last longer. And they are better for the long-term care of the environment.
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Access to more funding could help us reach more people and encourage the donation of more products such as menstrual cups, period panties and reusable pads. These products are more affordable, are better for your body and last longer.
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JH: And back to your writing life, as an intersectional writer, what are the joys and challenges?
I enjoy the strenuous process of writing. There’s nothing like writing a story for hours – it’s a different type of high that I can’t explain. There’s no better feeling than sitting in my study until 2:00 am and writing until I can’t anymore. (I once wrote for four hours straight – and it was euphoric.) Writing allows me to be introspective and process my thoughts and feelings.
I’ve written 300 pages of fanfiction, hoping to turn it into a novel. It’s a love story between Park Jimin and a young activist called Noma. Despite it being fiction, it has helped me process insecure feelings I have about romantic love – especially living in a sexually traumatising and violent country like South Africa.
In a nonfiction piece I wrote, published in Living while feminist, edited by Jen Thorpe, I explored my gender identity and how I came to understand my gender fluidity as a child growing into adulthood in South Africa. I’m interested in writing queer South African stories and normalising these experiences. I write about intimacy, gender and sexuality, and I would love it if my writing could really give a voice to intersectional people, often ignored or overlooked.
I remind myself that I’m not writing for fame or fortune, but purely because I love it. I don’t have to be the best at something to do it. I must do it because I want to do it, and I believe in it.
JH: When it comes to storytelling and claiming one’s voice, is there a tip you’d like to share with emerging writers?
SM: Just write. Ignore the critical and perfectionist voice in your head. Just write and write and write and write. You will find your voice as you write. Learning to write is being brave, and putting yourself out there as a writer makes you vulnerable, but you learn so much. Never try to be a perfect writer; rather, aim to be an authentic writer. Be yourself. Your voice will change and evolve over time, but the only way to find your voice is to keep at it.
JH: And would you encourage writers to try the short form?
SM: Definitely! Writing short stories and shorter nonfiction pieces allows me to practise. And I love reading short stories. A story doesn’t have to be long for it to be incredible or impactful.
Also read:
Short.Sharp.Stories anthology Fluid: interview with Nedine Moonsamy, author of "The jump"
Short.Sharp.Stories anthology Fluid: interview with Anna Hug, author of "Fynbos"
Short.Sharp.Stories anthology Fluid: interview with David Medalie, author of "Milly takes a husband"
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