Finnish/Nordic & African writers

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From: dahl@mappi.helsinki.fi Subject: Fwd: finnish/nordic & african writers

dear recipients,

I am vice-president of Finnish PEN, and I write to you because I look for couple of (young) African authors for a co-project between Finnish/nordic & african authors. I would like to hear from you as soon as possible.

What would it be concretely?

It would be written dialogue through e-mail on certain theme/topic as an aim a common text - the correspondence would be released partially at a blog also so that the public can follow its' proceeding.

the translator would translate finnish authors'answers into english. in the end of the project this "correspondence" would be published a printed anthology. this would be in year 2009.

Possibly there will be a workshop in the end of the whole project, where African and Finnish authors meet, but this realizes only if I manage to find the funding. Blog and anthology are however already sure & combined things:
they will be realized.

First we make the selection of Africans included:

1. Could you please suggest me somebody suitable for this project and send his/her contact details so that I can contact him/her asking their willingness to participate. Note, that I only look for about 4-5 people.
They should have already released something, proved their "professionality", and they have to live in Africa still. We also prefer them being younger authors.

2. i would like to know also what themes do you consider important in this cultural exchange kind of project? what themes would you like to discuss with finnish authors?

finns have proposed following themes:

-black and white reality - black and white signify different things in different cultures, also
-black and white north and south
-childhood
-gods
-my africa - presentations of africa that affect in my mind, the reality, possible changing of these (re)presentations
-death in our cultures

yours sincerely,

Rita Dahl