Senegal / USA

Guest of Honour
2023

Felwine Sarr

On Monday, May 22, 2023, at 7:30 pm, we will celebrate the German book premiere of »Die Orte, an denen meine Träume wohnen« (original title »Les lieux qu'habitent mes rêves«) with Felwine Sarr at the Literarisches Colloquium Berlin. The event will take place as part of the 25th anniversary of the Samuel Fischer Guest Professorship. Tickets here.

Felwine Sarr was born in 1972 in Niodior, Senegal. His books »Afrotopia« (translated by Max Henninger) and »Zurückgeben. Über die Restitution afrikanischer Kulturgüter« (co-authored with Bénédicte Savoy, translated bey Daniel Fastner) have been published by Matthes & Seitz Berlin and generated worldwide discussions. He is a writer, musician and publisher (including of Goncourt Prize winner Mohamed Mbougar Sarr) and teaches as an economist at Duke University in Durham (USA).

Together with Achille Mbembe, he founded the »Ateliers de la Pensée« with the aim of creating a place for intellectual discourse in Africa. He has published several volumes of short prose and stories. »Die Orte, an denen meine Träume wohnen« is his first novel. Felwine Sarr lives in Senegal and the United States.

»I want to give life back the bright side - regardless of the prevailing cynicism.«

Felwine Sarr about his novel

Felwine Sarr's books reflect on Africa's future (including »Afrotopia«) and have generated widespread debates around the world. Now he has written his first novel.

Twin brothers Fodé and Bouhel grow up in Senegal searching for their selves. Fodé is a carpenter, leading a traditional life in his homeland and following his spiritual calling. Bouhel chooses literature and music. He studies in France and finds fulfillment in love with Ulga, a Polish student. But a misfortune blocks their common path to the future.

It is not until years later that the brothers find their way back together. Felwine Sarr takes us on their journey without putting their choices against each other. »Die Orte, an denen meine Träume wohnen« is a philosophical, poetic and deeply human novel.

The German version of the novel will be published by S. Fischer Verlag on May 24, 2023, and was translated by Doris Heinemann.

Reading and talk

On May 22, the book will be presented in Germany for the first time. Literary scholar Raphaëlle Efoui-Delplanque will lead the reading and conversation with Felwine Sarr. The conversation will take place in French with simultaneous German translation. Text passages from the German edition of »Die Orte, an denen meine Träume wohnen« will be read by actor Langston Uibel. Prof. Günter M. Ziegler, President of Freie Universität Berlin, welcomes to the evening. Tickets here.

Raphaëlle Efoui-Delplanque

Raphaëlle Efoui-Delplanque lives in Berlin, where she has been researching narrative webs and interweavings within contemporary literature of the African diaspora since 2020, as part of a dissertation at Freie Universität. Previously, Raphaëlle studied political science, social sciences, and creative writing in Paris and New York. In articles and essays in English, French, and German, she writes on the meaning of circulation in (post-) colonial contexts, on Beyoncé and on Afro-Pean thought, and engages literarily with ideas of post-migration and heritage. In 2018, she curated the »decolonizing wor:l:ds« event series held at the international literature festival berlin (ilb).

Langston Uibel

Langston Uibel is a British-German actor. He played his first role at the age of 10, his breakthrough followed in 2015 with the cinema drama »Freistatt«. He made a name for himself internationally with the Netflix productions »Unorthodox«, »How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)« and »Dogs of Berlin«. In February, »Roter Himmel« (Engl.: »Afire«) celebrated its world premiere in competition at the 73rd Berlinale. The new film by Christian Petzold starring Langston in the main cast won the »Silbernen Bären Großer Preis der Jury« (engl.: »Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize«) and will be released nationwide on April 20.