Khanyisa Malabi

Khanyisa Malabi speaks of Garingani wa Garingani, a timeless piece of literature that connected to the dreams of every young girl and boy in her generation. In those days, there were no TVs or digital platforms for entertainment at home. Storytelling was the evening’s entertainment, providing a beautiful escape but also acting as a source of historical, economic and political knowledge and a means of fostering strong family ties. Usually central to the experience was the preparation of food with other family members, a ritual that established itself as a lasting “love language” in her life. “Food … makes my voice heard,” she says, adding that it enables her to fulfil the obligation she feels to “narrate those traditions that bind people together, give hope and liberate.” This is the overarching spirit informing Malabi’s beautiful Khanyisa: A Culinary Storyteller, published in 2023.