Sian BezuidenhoutI was born in Durban, South Africa in 1964, to an Indian family in the heyday of the apartheid regime. I grew up with institutionalized racism oozing out of every pore of the social fabric of life. This impacted where and how we lived, our life opporunities and how others perceived us. In short, the deck was stacked against us right from the start. As a little girl, my father would take me into the city centre every weekend and being young, I would beg him to let me sit down on the benches on the side of the street. But these were 'Whites Only' benches, and he would shake his head, saying that it was not possible. I never understood it. It felt mean and cruel. Growing up, I saw too much of poverty, strife and discord. After studying English Literature, Psychology and Drama, I joined the exodus of South Africans heading for a better life in London, leaving behind my immediate family and close knit community, which broke my heart. In the UK, I continued to study Psychology and became a teacher, working my way up to the role of Head of Special Educational Needs departments in multiple schools. Currently, I am doing an MA at Goldsmiths University in Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies. This is my second novel. Sian Bezuidenhout Read More Read Less