Fresh literary works explore identity shifts in global communities
Two ground-breaking novels coming next year dive into cultural cross-roads and identity questions. Fresh releases from **Dinaw Mengestu** and **Olga Tokarczuk** lead a wave of international story-telling
In the fast-paced D.C suburbs‚ Dinaw Mengestuʼs new book (coming out mid-2024) takes readers through a mind-bending journey of self-discovery. His main character Mamush – a Paris-based Ethiopian-American writer returns home and finds out about his father-figures death which leads to un-expected discoveries
The story moves between real and made-up memories as Mamush tries to piece together Samuels life; a taxi-driver who battled personal demons in Americas largest Ethiopian community outside Africa. The book uses a mix of text and photos (sent by Mamushs French photographer-wife) to paint a complex picture of immigrant life
In the diaspora just like in Ethiopia there were no high school dropouts of failing children‚ no depression or mental illness no drug addicts or alcoholics
Olga Tokarczuk brings her own take on Thomas Manns century-old story in “The Empusium“ (hitting shelves in fall-2024). Set in pre-war Prussia her story follows Mieczysław Wojnicz – a Polish engineer at a mountain health-resort where discussions about politics religion and society always seem to circle back to womens roles
- Japanese author Haruki Murakami explores parallel worlds
- Irish writer Austin Duffy looks at Northern Irelandʼs troubled past
- Juhea Kim dives into Russian ballet culture
- Yang Shuang-zi shows 1930s Taiwan through fresh eyes
- Several other cross-cultural stories coming from global writers
The books showcase how different cultures mix and change in todays world: from Ethiopian taxi routes in Washington to multi-lingual debates in old European resorts
