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African Book Festival Berlin 2023: Boost for African Literature in Germany. Interview mit/with Co-Organizer Venice Trommer
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…
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Africa’s most successful YouTubers – Top10 Ranking deutsch_english
Who are the most successful YouTubers in Africa, apart from the big music video kings? The answers to this question can be found in the current ranking by cultureafrica.net. Subscribers are the most important indicator in the ranking. But total views and estimated value also play a role. Find it out!
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Leïla Slimani: Schaut wie wir tanzen//Look, how we dance // Book Review
With her Morocco trilogy, Leïla Slimani sheds light on a chapter of French and Moroccan history that has still not been dealt with. It is not about black and white painting, because the history, the connections and developments of both countries and their people, are far too complex. Slimani's family comes from the upper middle class of the country. One can therefore speak of profiteers of the colonial era. And she makes no secret of it in her books. It is a global phenomenon of the colonial era that among the many victims and losers, there were also the people who took advantage of the occupation system. Morocco is no exception. The wonderful thing about this trilogy is that…
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The Woman King – Successfull Hollywood Drama about Dahomey Female Warriors
The Woman King is preparing to inherit the successful film The Black Panther. It has already grossed more than 50 million dollars at the cinemas. And yet the film has only just started. While in Black Panther it was the Wakanda, this time the "real" warrior women of the Agojie are the background for this film. Again it is a cast of American and African actors and actresses. This time, however, in an originally African story that borrows heavily from historical events in 19th century West Africa. In the kingdom of Dahomey at that time, the warrior women of the Agojie, protected by the royal family, brought about a groundbreaking system change in the perception and emancipation of women.…
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Culture Forecast September October 2022
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…
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African Book Festival in Berlin 2022. A Report. engl/ger
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…
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A phantastic Mombasa journey: The House of Rust – Book Review by Lorna Likiza – engl/ger
A phantastic Mombasa journey: "The House of Rust is an enchanting novel about a Hadhrami girl in Mombasa. When her fisherman father goes missing, Aisha takes to the sea on a magical boat made of a skeleton to rescue him. She is guided by a talking scholar’s cat (and soon crows, goats, and other animals all have their say, too). On this journey Aisha meets three terrifying sea monsters." (Graywolf Press) Khadija Abdallah Bajaber's, THE HOUSE OF RUST, is proof of that the fantasy genre has a future in Kenyan literature.
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We want to build Bridges – 1st Salon de Livre Africain in Paris – Interview in fr/engl/d
Le public était visiblement enthousiasmé par l'abondance de la littérature africaine, qui est rarement proposée sous cette forme. En conséquence, les visiteurs étaient impatients d'acheter. Beaucoup avaient des piles de livres sous le bras. L'absence de librairies appropriées, ou le fait que de nombreux livres ne sont pas exposés dans les magasins, est un défaut majeur de la littérature africaine et de ses éditeurs. Il existe également de grandes différences en Afrique.
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A Question of Tribe – Kenya und seine Ethnien/ and its tribes
It starts with us encouraging our children to genuinely embrace each other regardless of tribe. It starts with that Kenyan in a voting booth ticking besides a candidate’s name and political party not because they speak the same vernacular language and come from the same place but because their track record is one of integrity. It starts with Swahili being used in situations where the vernacular language would have been the chosen pick because we are conscious that a minority in our midst may not understand our mother tongue. It starts with us totally dropping stereotypical views of different tribes and having the courage to shun nepotism when our position tempts us to lean on it.
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Pettina Gappah: Aus der Dunkelheit Strahlendes Licht // Book review
Im Laufe der Reise wird deutlich, dass der verstorbene nicht nur als Heiliger durch den Dschungel getragen wird. Immer mehr wird auch seine Vergangenheit Teil der Fracht. So ließ Livingstone einen des Diebstahls Verdächtigen auspeitschen. Dafür wird sich dieser später rächen. Auch die unschönen Deals des Herrn Doktor Livingstone mit Sklavenhändlern kommen ans Tageslicht. Zur Bitternis für seinen Anhänger Wainwright. Er durchlebt im Buch eine wahrlich harte Prüfung. Ist er doch direkt von der Missionarsschule in die Dienste Livingstons gegangen. Der hat aber wenig Interesse an christlicher Missionierung.
