From Alfred Tamakloe in Malmo
An anthology of short stories written by 10 African writers from six countries and published in Swedish, was launched on Wednesday, February 8, in Malmo, Sweden.
Titled “Att stampa på fördomarna”, in Swedish or “Stomping on the Prejudices”, it contains newly written short stories, not only set in the vibrant present in urban settings, but also gives voice to the revolutionary experiences of the last hundred years, such as the Free French forces during World War II, developments in cricket after Kenya’s independence and land reform in Zimbabwe at the turn of the millennium.
Colonial history makes itself felt in life and everyday life, and the authors depict a world that is still characterized by inequality and racism.
Translated from English and French by Kristian Carlsson, Karolina Jeppeson and Stephane Kunegel, the stories came from Richard Ali, (Nigeria), Carey Baraka, (Kenya) A. lgoni Barrett, (Nigeria) Yolande Elebe Ma Ndembo,(DR Congo) Lutivini Majanja,(Kenya) Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho,(South Africa) Blaise Ndala,(DR Congo) Philani A. Nyoni,(Zimbabwe) Audrey Obuobisa-Darko(Ghana) and Alison Ojany, (Kenya).
“It is an initiative born from my time at an Adult Education College, (Österlens folkhögskola), where I worked giving a course about Literature in Africa. Whiles working there, my colleagues and I, who were part of this course, came into contact with such a richness in literary scenes in different countries, a richness that seldom reaches us here in Sweden, which are available only through other languages, such as English or French. I decided to apply for funds for translating stories of young writers in Africa”, says Karolina Jeppson, who edited the book.
“Together with the publishing house, Smockadoll, we decided, in the very time of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests all over the world, that the theme would be how history is part of daily life, to show perspectives on how people navigate in colonial and racist structures, into the contexts of each and every writer”.
The book is available only in Swedish at: https://smockadoll.se/
Item No: 9789189099333
Categories: Africa, News, Prose
Short Stories ///216 pages /// hardcover /// ISBN 978-91-89099-33-3