The Department of Historical and Heritage Studies wishes to congratulate Senior Lecturer, Dr Siona O'Connell, for being awarded a prestigious Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Award for her book Hanging on a Wire (jointly edited with Rick Rodhe). The book was a joint winner in the category of Book Non-Fiction: Edited Volume, hosted by the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS). The judging panel commented on the book:

“The visual language of the photographs presented in this book is a powerful account of what it means to be young, rural and poor in South Africa. The photographs cover a range of
social interactions from weddings, 21st birthday parties to funerals. But, more importantly the photographer captures people as they wish to be captured by the camera - irreverent, jubilant, mourning and wrapped up in the insignia of popular and global cultures.”

Dr O'Connell joined the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies in 2017 from the University of Cape Town. The Department is proud of her outstanding achievement.