German BAME writers

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German BAME writers

2spiphany
Jun 23, 2020, 2:50 pm

Thanks for posting this.

I'm not terribly familiar with current German children's literature, but I have an interest in German writers "with an immigrant background" (as they call it), which includes BAME writers as well as some white writers, usually from eastern or south-central Europe. Depending on how one defines "minority", some of these might likewise apply.
I assume the teacher is aware of this, but ethnicity (or the "others" vs. "one of us" distinction) is not going to be identical in Germany and in the UK (and different again in the US). For example, Russian-Germans and Turkish-Germans deal with various forms of discrimination, as do "southerners" (i.e. Italians/Greeks). And Jewish-German writers probably require a discussion of their own...

From the authors in my library/wishlist, there are a few -- besides Rafik Schami, already mentioned above -- who have also written children's fiction:
Navid Kermani: Ayda, Bär und Hase
Salim Alafenisch: Amira, Prinzessin der Wüste
Michael Stavarič (Czech-Austrian, possibly not applicable here)

It may also be of didactic interest that Otfried Preußler is of Czech/Bohemian background and drew on, e.g. Sorbian legends for some of his stories (Krabat)

Moving to the older end of the spectrum (possibly more for the teen range than pre-teens):
Que Du Luu: Im Jahr des Affen
Akram El-Bahay (various YA fantasy)
Alina Bronsky has a number of novels with teen protagonists and coming-of-age themes, e.g. Scherbenpark, Nenn mich einfach Superheld, Spiegelkind
Julya Rabinowich: Dazwischen: Ich
Yoko Tawada doesn't seem to have written any children's fiction (which honestly surprises me a bit, she would probably have fun subverting the genre), but some of the essays in Überseezungen might be suitable for upper grades, as might parts of Abbas Khider's Deutsch für alle.
Wladimir Kaminer and Osman Engin write humorous-satirical anecdotes, some of which would probably work for young people. (Engin has samples on his website). Some of the material in Selim Özdogan's Trinkgeld vom Schicksal might be appropriate.

The list of awardees for the Adelbert von Chamisso Prize (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelbert_von_Chamisso_Prize) might also be helpful.

I'll also note here that in literature studies at German universities, the discussion tends to be formulated in terms of "interkulturelle deutsche Literatur" (intercultural German literature), often connected with the program for teaching German as a foreign language (DaF) rather than the main German literature program. At any rate, this was the case several years ago when I was a student. Possibly the discussions have started to shift since then.

3MarthaJeanne
Jun 23, 2020, 3:38 pm

I read Addai's Das Schnarchen der Ungeheuer with a boy whose reading level wasn't really up to it, but he wanted to follow the story, and by golly, he did get through it. Addai is also a great person to talk to. I've talked to him a couple of times at Buch Wien.

4spiphany
Editado: Nov 13, 2020, 8:06 am

I came across this article which discusses the issue of diversity in children's literature and some initiatives to change this. It talks more about British writers than German ones, but does mention Andrea Karimé's King kommt noch.

Dayan Kodua is primarily an actress, but she's also written a picture book, "Odo"
"Pembo - Halb und halb macht doppelt glücklich" by Ayse Bosse and illustrated by Ceylan Beyoglu

Schwarzes Europa: Legenden die uns verborgen blieben – Schwarze Jugendliche auf den Spuren ihrer Geschichte also might be of pedagogical interest.

And some children's books by white German authors, but dealing with topics of race and diversity:

Klar bin ich von hier! by Sabine Preiss
All da! Unser kunterbuntes Leben by Anja Tuckermann
Meine Oma lebt in Afrika by Annelies Schwarz
Mein Freund Salim by Uticha Marmon
Zafira - Ein Mädchen aus Syrien by Ursel Scheffler
Wenn Menschen flüchten by Susan Schädlich
Djadi, Flüchtlingsjunge by Peter Härtling
Bloß nicht weinen Akbar! by Frauke Kässbohrer

Likewise, HaWandel Verlag is a publisher dedicated to promoting diversity in children's books.

5sjainnahta
Abr 5, 2022, 2:34 am

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