In Conversation with Maaza Mengiste

“There is no past, there is no ‘what happened’, there is only the moment that unfolds into the next, dragging everything with it, constantly renewing. Everything is happening at once”

…writes Maaza Mengiste in The Shadow King. Her work uncovers the stories of life amidst violence, through the perspective of those who are rarely remembered. From Ethiopia to Berlin, the prize-winning author challenges entrenched histories of war, fascism and patriarchy. In collaboration with Chapters Bookshop, one of Berlin’s most interesting new locations for global voices, featuring selected books, author talks and writing workshops, we are hosting Maaza Mengiste in conversation with BR editor Meret Weber on the histories, objects and archives of life and war that shape her writing.