• Africa,  Germany,  Literature Festival

    African Book Festival in Berlin – Three Days of Literature and Pleasure – deutsch-english

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    Once again, the large number of visitors to the ABF, most of them young people, gives one hope that African literature can be very much alive. Whoever gets involved in this festival for three days can get very close to African literature. All authors are present for the whole three days, they are not flown in for a short time but spend the days at the festival. And if you want, you can get very close to them. You can sit down with them and talk.

  • Book Fair,  Africa,  Germany,  Interview

    African Book Festival Berlin 2023: Boost for African Literature in Germany. Interview mit/with Co-Organizer Venice Trommer

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    This year, the African Book Festival in Berlin will take place for the fifth time. In recent years, it has developed into one of the most important festivals for African literature in Germany and Europe. It is a public festival in the classical sense. And it has successfully survived the restrictions of the pandemic years. The appetite for African literature is greater than ever. One feature of the ABF is that the program is designed by African curators. The organizer, InterKontinental e.V., selects a literary personality each year. This curatorial principle, which has characterized the last editions, was cancelled this year with a bang. Shortly after the announcement of this year's curator, Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a storm of indignation…

  • Africa,  Geschichte/History,  Literatur/Book Review

    An Uncomfortable Truth: Howard W. French: Born in Blackness – Afrika und die Entstehung der modernen Welt_deutsch_englisch

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    Africa and the Making of the Modern World, now published in German by Klett-Cotta, is to be seen as an important contribution in the reinterpretation of historical facts and contexts. The striking thing is not only the many facts that French presents. It becomes clear relatively early in the reading that it is above all the concealment or negation of facts and contexts that have made possible a revelation of one of the darkest chapters of Western history. A central thesis of the book is that Africa with its resources of gold and forced laborers, over twelve million slaves and the market for textiles, made an unheard-of rise of the European seafaring nations such as Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands,…

  • Africa,  Economy,  Gesellschaft/Society,  Train

    Take the A-Train! Renaissance of the Train/der Eisenbahn im südlichen Afrika_ger/engl

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    Take the A-Train! Djibouti-Abbis Abbeba, Nairobi-Mombasa, Accra-Tema, Kampala-Kigali,...The railroad is back! After decades of lethargy and decay, there seems to be no stopping it. In many countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, there are a multitude of construction projects, some of which cross borders to advance the train. Not only goods, but also people are being moved. And they are riding along enthusiastically. This is a development that is very much under steam, as a veritable competition has picked up speed. Not all of the projects are successful, railroad construction is complex. Many projects are calculated purely in economic terms. But there is a great chance that the railroad will be more than an economic engine: a transnational vehicle that connects…

  • Germany,  Africa,  Book Fair

    Frankfurt Book Fair 2022: The Fascination is back//ger_engl

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    The most recent Frankfurt Book Fair in 2022 lasted just under six days. It was the first face-to-face event in three years. Cultureafrica was at the fair. Talked to African exhibitors, was at readings, discussions and events around the book fair. It was full, it was exhausting, it was: great class! That's how you could describe the exciting days in October, because no matter if it was worth it for each individual. Almost everyone agreed on one thing: The Frankfurt Book Fair is alive!

  • Africa,  Germany,  Interview,  Literatur/Book Review

    Could This Be Love? Essays about Interracial Relations – Interview with Editor Stefanie Hirsbrunner – ger/engl

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    Im ersten Teil der dreiteiligen Büchervorstellung zum Thema Diversity in  Germany geht es um den Essayband Kann das denn Liebe sein. Could This Be Love? Der Band versammelt fünfzehn Essays von verschiedenen Autor:innen aus Deutschland und Afrikanischen Ländern. Allen ist eines gemeinsam: Es geht um die Probleme, Hürden und Chancen von Interracial Relations. Privat, berührend, unterhaltsam, erschütternd . Das Buch ist im August 2022 beim Verlag InterKontinental erschienen und auf dem African Book Festival in Berlin auf zwei Podien vorgestellt worden. Im Interview sprach ich mit der Herausgeberin Stefanie Hirsbrunner, die gleichzeitig auch Teil des InterKontinental Verlags und des African Book Festivals in Berlin ist. The first part of the three-part book presentation on the topic of diversity in…

  • Africa,  Event,  Kunst/Art,  Veranstaltung/Event

    Culture Forecast September October 2022

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    In this section, I display upcoming events of culture events in Europe dealing with african topics and art events in african countries. If you have information about events, please send to hans_cultureafrica@yahoo.com. A lot, a lot. So much events! We start in Uganda, where the exciting Nyege Nyege Festival will happen from September 15 to 18 nearby spectacular Itanda Falls. This international electronic music highlight in East africa is highlighted by DJ Kampire. We hope, that no one has the idea to jump into the water(fall). If you google Itanda, you know why. In Nairobi, the Macondo Literary Festival is preparing to open its gates at Kenya National Theater. The last time it happened, was 2019. This year it…

  • Africa,  Germany,  Literature Festival

    African Book Festival in Berlin 2022. A Report. engl/ger

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    Yesterday.Today.Tomorrow. That was the leitmotif of this year’s African Book Festival in Berlin. Finally without any restrictions, finally everything live and on the spot. The joy about this could be felt everywhere when you were out and about at the festival. Cultureafrica was media partner this year, but this should not distort the view when reporting about this event. By Hans Hofele/cultureafrica.net FÜR DEUTSCHE VERSION NACH UNTEN SCROLLEN But: Where does one start to report? About a literary event that is more than the sum of its events? Even in retrospect, it was a very intense long weekend. If you count the launch of InterKontinental on Thursday evening, it was four days in which you could get involved with…

  • Literature Festival,  Africa,  Germany,  South Africa

    African Book Festival Berlin: Interview with South African curator Lidudumalingani_engl/ger

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    This year’s edition of the African Book Festival Berlin has an impressive list of authors who will take part in the festival. Margaret Busby will be there, Igoni Barrett, JJ Bola, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi and many more. Lidudumalingani Mqombothi is this year’s curator of the festival, which takes place from August 26th to 28th in Berlin. The native South African sees himself as a multimedia artist. Writing, photography, filmmaking. In 2016 he won the renowned Caine Prize for African Writing with the short story „Memories We Lost“. Two months before the festival, Hans Hofele didn’t just talk to him about literature. FÜr DEUTSCHE VERSION NACH UNTEN SCROLLEN HH: You once said “photography is like poetry in a picture”. You…