"This revelatory, dynamic document of the diverse cultures, lives and experiences of African-origin Europeans is a must-read for readers seeking a profounder understanding of European history, culture and identity."
“I was born black, working class and northern in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain”, so begins the author’s personal prologue to a book that provides a vital, alternate lens through which to view Europe. Growing up as such, Pitts felt “I was being forced to react against one culture or overidentify with the other”.
A visit to the Calais Jungle in 2016 resulted in him being stopped, searched and ID’d before being allowed in, albeit still under suspicion. A bleak reminder that when non-whites have the right documents, “I wasn’t all the way in”.
What follows is a document of Pitts’s encounters and meetings with dozens of Afropeans; black citizens of Europe juggling identities and loyalties – a self-described ‘black French militant’ on the outskirts of Paris; a Belgian-Congolese artist in Brussels; a Sudanese-German chef in Berlin; a fascinating interview with Caryl Philipps, the acclaimed Kittian-British writer.
A remarkable feat of research and understanding, this seminal book is reportage at its finest, enhanced by the author’s striking photography.
'A revelation' Owen Jones 'Afropean seizes the blur of contradictions that have obscured Europe's relationship with blackness and paints it into something new, confident and lyrical' Afua Hirsch 'Afropean. Here was a space where blackness was taking part in shaping European identity ... A continent of Algerian flea markets, Surinamese shamanism, German Reggae and Moorish castles.
| Primary Genre | History |
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'A revelation' Owen Jones 'Afropean seizes the blur of contradictions that have obscured Europe's relationship with blackness and paints it into something new, confident and lyrical' Afua Hirsch 'Afropean. Here was a space where blackness was taking part in shaping European identity ...
Afropean Notes from Black Europe features in the following genres: History, Biographies & Autobiographies, Sharing Diverse Voices, Non-Fiction Books of the Month, History and Archaeology, Biography, Literature and Literary studies, Fiction, Recommendations
Paperback, Hardback. £11.69, down from the £12.99 cover price. In Stock.
Afropean Notes from Black Europe was written by Johny Pitts and published by Penguin Books an imprint of Penguin Books Ltd
Afropean Notes from Black Europe has 416 pages
£11.69, reduced from £12.99. In Stock.
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