{"id":7411,"date":"2021-02-21T15:06:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-21T13:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/?p=7411"},"modified":"2026-07-20T15:34:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T13:34:19","slug":"21-february-2021-publication-of-trans-memoir-robert-a-queer-crooked-memoir-for-the-not-so-straight-narrow-by-robert-hamblin-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/21-february-2021-publication-of-trans-memoir-robert-a-queer-crooked-memoir-for-the-not-so-straight-narrow-by-robert-hamblin-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"21 February 2021 \u2014 Publication of Trans Memoir, &#8220;Robert: A Queer &amp; Crooked Memoir for the not so Straight &amp; Narrow&#8221; by Robert Hamblin, South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">21 February 2021 \u2014 Publication of Trans Memoir, &#8220;Robert: A Queer &amp; Crooked Memoir for the not so Straight &amp; Narrow&#8221; by Robert Hamblin, South Africa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Published in February 2021 by Jacana Media, Robert Hamblin&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/bridgebooks.co.za\/products\/robert-a-queer-crooked-memoir-for-the-not-so-straight-narrow-by-robert-hamblinused?srsltid=AfmBOop2PWEQIBUu7DObNFlJYBo4gHuscNm60zS12m584vWCEqLVgMHo\">&#8220;Robert: A Queer &amp; Crooked Memoir for the not so Straight &amp; Narrow&#8221;<\/a> became the fourth South African trans memoir after\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/5-january-2016-publication-of-always-anastacia-a-transgender-live-in-south-africa\/\">\u201cAlways Anastacia: A Transgender Live in South Africa\u201d by Anastacia Tomson<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/1-july-2018-publication-of-becoming-him-a-trans-memoir-of-triumph-south-africa\/\">Landa Mabenga\u2019s \u201cBecoming Him: A Trans Memoir of Triumph\u201d<\/a>, followed by <a href=\"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/1-august-2022-publication-of-trans-memoir-twee-lewens-south-africa\/\">Elise Bishop\u2019s \u201cTwee Lewens\u201d<\/a> and Tshiamo Modisane\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/january-2025-publication-of-trans-memoir-i-am-tshiamo-my-transition-to-self-acceptance-and-womanhood-south-africa\/\">\u201cI Am Tshiamo: My Transition to Self-Acceptance and Womanhood\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1272\" height=\"1956\" src=\"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Robert-Hamblin-book.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7087\" srcset=\"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Robert-Hamblin-book.jpg 1272w, https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Robert-Hamblin-book-195x300.jpg 195w, https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Robert-Hamblin-book-98x150.jpg 98w, https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Robert-Hamblin-book-768x1181.jpg 768w, https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Robert-Hamblin-book-999x1536.jpg 999w, https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Robert-Hamblin-book-8x12.jpg 8w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1272px) 100vw, 1272px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The book <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-580735acf73faa39dee3eb2ed733cd40\">&#8220;traverses a childhood peppered with a cast of unique and marginalised characters. At the centre is Billy, his flamboyantly queer conman father and the mysterious, seductive Alexis. Robert\u2019s childhood self is twisted in a confusing gender identity crisis. Being a girl does just not sit well for him. Alexis seduces his teenage self in an attempt to teach him how to be a woman. As he grows more obsessed, he loses her to the underbelly of Joburg\u2019s strip clubs. Although Robert transitions from female to male, this is not a predictable trans-story of someone trapped in the wrong body. Rather, a tale of a human who refuses to live in a box and who questions the straight trajectory. Through excavating his past, Robert confronts and begins healing from racism and the confines of gender.&#8221; (Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.roberthamblin.net\/robert-a-queer-crooked-memoir\">https:\/\/www.roberthamblin.net\/robert-a-queer-crooked-memoir<\/a>)<\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Watch our interview with Robert, 3 April 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Gender activism in South Africa \u2014 Robert Hamblin\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TgtMZkFeC4o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In the media<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/booklounge.co.za\/podcasts\/down-memory-lane-with-robert-hamblin\/\">Podcast interview<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymaverick.co.za\/article\/2021-06-20-we-are-all-petrified-an-interview-with-robert-hamblin\/\">Daily Maverick article<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mambaonline.com\/2021\/06\/26\/queer-books-touch-robert-hamblins-memoir\/\">MambaOnline article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About Robert Hamblin:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Robert A. Hamblin is an artist, published author, afab-feminist and parent. His art flounces around gender and bodily things. He seeks a reconnection with nature for queer people. His fine art work is concerned with masculinity, power, whiteness and the performance of these constructs. Hamblin\u2019s conceptually driven, painterly photographic works have been exhibited locally and internationally. He has received critical acclaim for his compelling works that contribute to debates around body politics in a post-apartheid era. South African Supreme Court Justice Edwin Cameron described Robert&#8217;s memoir as \u201cA remarkable feat that challenges people to examine not just their own sexuality and identity but their very humanity.\u201d Robert was a founding board member of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/july-2005-gender-dynamix-gdx-founded-south-africa\/\"><strong><em>Gender Dynamix,<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and later years the Advocacy Manager.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>21 February 2021 \u2014 Publication of Trans Memoir, &#8220;Robert: A Queer &amp; Crooked Memoir for the not so Straight &amp; Narrow&#8221; by Robert Hamblin, South Africa Published in February 2021 by Jacana Media, Robert Hamblin&#8217;s &#8220;Robert: A Queer &amp; Crooked Memoir for the not so Straight &amp; Narrow&#8221; became the fourth South African trans memoir [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":7087,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[575,335,147,32,419],"tags":[1749,87,1755,27],"class_list":["post-7411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-activists","category-all","category-publications","category-trans","category-transfeminist","tag-jacana-media","tag-robert-hamblin","tag-robert-a-queer-and-crooked-memoir-for-the-not-so-straight-or-narrow","tag-south-africa"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7411"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7425,"href":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7411\/revisions\/7425"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/transintersexhistory.africa\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}