Synopses & Reviews
A collection of short fiction by international authors, this anthology asks artist émigrés to describe the forces that pushed them to places far away from homeand how they propel their fictional characters on similar journeys. The resulting stories reveal a rich tangle of motives for departure, including romantic dreams, big ambitions, family ties, and flight from poverty and persecution. The contributors include Niki Aguirre, Naomi Alderman, Tahmina Anam, Monica Arac de Nyeko, Brian Chikwava, Junot Diaz, Romesh Gunesekera, Nam Le, and Zoe Wicomb, all of whom explore the complexities of 21st-century migration in locales from Abidjan, Accra, and Cape Coast to Dijon, London, and Los Angeles.
Synopsis
Most migrants arrive at their destinations by a combination of serendipity and choicelessness. The question - how did you arrive here? - is always answered with a convoluted mix of myth, love, family ties, budget, language, persecution, opportunity and interruption. This has been Nii Parkes' own experience, and in South of South he brings together a distinguished selection of contemporary writers who feel the same way.
With stories from Romesh Gunesekera, Zoe Wicomb, Nam Le, Monica Arac de Nyeko, Tahmina Anam, Brian Chikwava, Niki Aguirre, Junot Diaz and Naomi Alderman, this is a rich mix of writing re-imagining the dynamics of migration in the 21st century.
Nii Ayikwei Parkes was born in the UK and raised in Ghana. A former Poet-in-Residence at the Poetry Caf , he has performed on major stages across the world, including at The Royal Festival Hall and at the London Mayor's vigil on July 14, 2005 in response to the London bombings. His most recent collection is The Makings of You (Peepal Tree, 2010). His poem 'Tin Roof' was selected for Poems on the Underground in 2007 and his novel Tail of the Blue Bird was published by Jonathan Cape in 2009. Nii also co-edited the groundbreaking Tell Tales: Volume I short story anthology (2005) with Courttia Newland.
About the Author
Nii Ayikwei Parkes is a contributor to numerous literary magazines and the author of Tail of the Blue Bird and "Socks Ball," a short story highly commended by the 2009 Caine Prize for African Writing. He is a performance artist who reads on major stages around the world.