This dystopian adventure novel about bravery, friendship and courage follows the twelve-year-old Prince Alfred. The story is set in future Britain, to be precise in the year 2120 – environmental pollution lead to most devastating effects of climate change: melting ice cabs, violent earthquakes and volcano eruptions that darken the sky over London: “The kingdom […]
A young adult novel from a teenage perspective about bullying, prejudices, religious extremism, manipulation and courage. After moving to a new school in London, fifteen-year-old Muzna faces stereotyping at school and conflicts with her parents about her future plans at home. She finally meets Arif, a confident and beautiful boy from her school, who encourages […]
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 […]
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 – […]
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 […]
A dystopian, social science fiction novel about the importance of memory, individualism and identity construction. 12 year-old Jonas lives in a society where the ruling force is ‘Sameness’. A life without colours, pain or past. Everyone is assigned their job at the age of twelve. No uncertainty, no problems. The only person who safekeeps the […]
A relentless exploration of racial prejudice and finding your voice as a young adult. 16-year-old Starr is a black student attending an elite school with a white majority, always carefully presenting herself in order to fit in. When her friend is accidentally shot by a police officer in front of her eyes, Starr is not […]
This dystopian novel leads the reader down a dark path towards the perils of religion and oppressive patriarchy. A religious shift in the US-American government calling itself the ‘Pure Movement’ results in women being stripped of their voices: Handcuffs every woman has to wear count their spoken words and if the daily number exceeds 100, […]
A science fiction, fantasy novel about a girl fighting for her life and finding herself in the process. When her mostly absent father gives her a virtual reality gaming experience as a birthday present, she’s hesitant but up for it. It all goes downhill when she’s suddenly trapped inside this looping virtual reality medieval setting. […]
A Shakespearian tragedy on hypocrisy, murder, guilt and remorse. Macbeth, the brave Scottish general of King Duncan revives a prophecy by three witches that one day he will become the new king of Scotland. Imbued with ambition he takes the throne and becomes a tyrannic ruler who plunges the land of his people in misfortune […]
This 19th century best-selling novel about human trafficking, violence and slavery follows Tom, a middle-aged, enslaved African-American slave. As Tom is sold again and again, his life fully depends on the mercy and goodwill of his current owner… The novel is praised for having laid the groundwork for the abolition of slavery, but also harshly […]
An epistolary novel about oppression, abuse and the power of love. Celie is an African-American teenager who grows up in poverty with her younger sister in a small village in Georgia and is raped by her father Alphonso at the age of fourteen. Living around abusive men, Celie builds relationships with other black women and […]
In this dystopian future set in Australia, there are no more bees in the whole wide world. Children are charged with hand pollination, trying to replace the bees as best they can, but 9-year-old Peony is still too young to take on the job. Nevertheless, she is convinced that she would make a fabulous bee […]
A young adult novel about conflicts and migration, family relationships and a boy fighting for survival. 14-year old Alem is half Ethiopian and half Eritrean. Because his parents countries are at war with each other, his only way to safety leads him to Europe. In London he struggles to be officially recognised as a refugee […]
A dystopian novel between loyalty and betrayal, publicity and privacy. When Mae is offered to work at The Circle, an influential tech company, she could not be happier. It is only when she realizes the company’s desire to permeate ever more fields of their customers’ lives that Mae starts to wonder where the use of […]