Emmanuel Boundzéki Dongala

I normally find allegories a rather tedious read, but Emmanuel Dongala's The Fire of Origins has a deftness to it that many other examples of the genre lack. The novel is an allegory for the massive changes that took place in 20th-century Africa thanks to the impact of colonialism, urbanisation, warfare and industrialisation. We follow Mankunku, born into a precolonial community that feels ageless, mythical; over the course of his life, the mood of the book shifts of a piece with his changing circumstances. Mankunku too becomes perhaps a slightly more passive character in the latter part of the book, which made this not entirely satisfying, but still an engrossing read.… (mehr)

George Bridgetower was an 18th Century violin virtuoso and the son of a Black man from the Caribbean. He was a child prodigy who entertained Parisienne high society on the eve of the French Revolution. He then fled to London where he was a court favorite of the Prince of Wales.

When he moved to Vienna, he became the friend and collaborator of Ludwig Van Beethoven. The two composed the "Sonata Mulattica" together, but Beethoven later changed the name to the "Kreutzer Sonata" when the two had a falling out.

Emmanuel Dongala's new historical novel brings life to this forgotten story. He makes the most of what is known about Bridgetower's life, telling a fascinating story of race, class, creativity, and friendship in 18th Century Europe.… (mehr)

Poco più che un bambino, poco meno di un soldato – ma spietato miliziano – Johnny è ubriaco di violenza e di parole goffamente idealiste. “Lao”, sua coetanea, ama lo studio e la pace, ma allo scoppio della guerra “tribale” si ritrova, con il fratellino e la madre disabile, vittima di Mad Dog (con finale a sorpresa). Le stesse vicende sono raccontate dai due punti di vista, con effetti talora agghiaccianti. È un momento felice per lo scrittore congolese professore di chimica negli Usa, che vede alcune sue opere venire portate sul palcoscenico (A Love Supreme) o sul grande schermo ("Johnny Mad Dog", prodotto da Mathieu Kassovitz).… (mehr)