This novel is a kick-off to the dystopian trilogy about a society in which love is perceived as a disease. Consequently, young people undergo an operation known as ‘the Cure’ once they turn 18. But when Lena’s ‘Cure’ is drawing near, she meets Alex – he is one of the so called invalids, outcasts who […]
Told from several perspectives, this novel is an exploration of empathy and acceptance but also fear and refusal. 10-year-old Auggie was born with a birth defect that lead to a face deformation, which is why he has been homeschooled by his parents. When he eventually attends a ‘real’ school, he is confronted with bullying, peer […]
This children’s version of the autobiographic novel A Streetcat Named Bob tells a tale of social stratification and deep relationships between pets and humans. James is a homeless busker in London, trying to make ends meet. It is only when he meets the injured stray cat Bob and they stick together that James’ tale takes […]
A shocking story of sexual assult and trauma: Melinda is an outcast at her high school. She busted a party a while ago by calling the cops but now she refuses to publicly give a reason. Shunned by her peers, she almost stops speaking entirely – if nobody listens, what is the point in speaking? […]
This is a story about family, loss, suppression and human trafficking: Rosa is living with her mother in Sheffield. When Rosa’s mother thinks about adopting a child, Rosa only slowly warms to the idea. Meanwhile, in an African village, Abela, an orphan from Tanzania is send by her uncle off to England, after her mother […]
A literary respone to the shootings of black teenagers Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown in the USA. In this fictional account, Tariq is 16 years old when he is shot by a white policeman, creating an uproar in his community. No two stories of the event match and so finding out what really happened that […]
The first case of the famous Victorian private detective Sherlock Holmes. After returning to London, Dr. Watson, a veteran of the second Anglo-Afghan war, encounters Sherlock Holmes, a private investigator. Holmes is requested to solve a mysterious murder case, they investigate together. They follow the clue of a wedding ring left behind at the crime […]
A play about racism, prejudice, segregation and African American identity in the 1950s. Walter Younger lives with his family of five in a two-room apartment in Chicago’s south side. Walter’s mother is waiting for ten thousand dollars from his father’s life insurance and Walter would like to use that money to open a liquor store. […]
A family tragedy of disenfranchisement, idealism, race relations as well as broken dreams set in an ‘all-black’ neighbourhood in 1950’s Pittsburgh. Troy, who works as a garbage man, has a wife and two sons. They live in a house that Troy bought using the compensation money his brother received for being shot in the head […]
The classic tale in the realm of magical realism combines language and logic into a memorable world of ‘literary nonsense’, which continues to shape popular culture for decades. While Alice, a 7-year old girl, sits next to a river she notices a white rabbit and follows it into its rabbit hole, emerging again in Wonderland, […]
A novel about desire, sexuality, power and coming to terms with life’s adversities. The story is set in post-aphartheid South Africa: David Lurie works as a professor for English in Cape Town when an affair with one of his students costs him his job. Not only does he quit university but also living in the […]
A young adult novel revolving around prejudice, racism and discrimination in the USA. Justyce is top of his class in school and thought he had left his neighborhood behind but what he cannot shake off is the bitter reality of racist assaults on him by white police. When one day he draws the attention of […]
A short excerpt from Morrison’s novel God Help the Child on motherhood, prejudice, racism and discrimination. This short story elaborates on a mother and her difficulties raising a black child: How she thought she needed to be strict with her daughter and how this past behavior still keeps them estranged until the present day – […]
These five verses explore a child’s perspective on the topic of migration with vivid images of flying, blossoming and dancing comparing its situation with a trapped bird concluding in the and that… “…I see I am a transplanted sapling, here, blossoming.”
A tragic novel about love, the American dream, acceleration and unrelenting optimism. When narrator Nick moves to a prestigious community on Long Island (New York), he is soon introduced to his mysterious neighbor Jay Gatsby. Little is known about Mr Gatsby except that he is fabulously rich and regularly holds huge parties in his luxurious […]
This epistolary novel tells a timeless coming-of-age story from the perspective of 15-year-old introvert Charlie, who is struggling with highschool life. Whether it is finding his taste in music or finding his first love, it all holds a special challenge for him. Bright days of joy, happiness and empowerment as well as gloomy days of […]
This short story from the realm of magical realism problematises resentment, prejudice and peer pressure. Ken Liu’s fantasy story depicts the struggle of a woman with a migrant background between retaining her ‘old’ identity and simultaneously adopting a new one. Her son Jack re-tells several episodes of their lives, showcasing his mother’s special talent: When […]
A thrilling metafictional novel about identity, ideals, racism, terrorism, American patriotism and imperialism, loyalty and distrust. Frame narrative: On a single afternoon at a Lahore café, Changez, a Pakistani man tells an unnamed American stranger about his life: Beginning with his elite education at Princeton and continuing into professional success in glittering New York City. […]