A poem about responsibly shaping a future between diversity and unity, this optimistic work by 22-year-old Gorman took the world by storm when she presented it at US-President Biden’s inauguration ceremony. It is both an honest depiction of the challenges her country faces – racial injustice as well as threats to both health and democracy […]
Based on a true story, this novel explores paranoia, ideological obsession, the damaged American psyche and the Sovereign citizen movement – a militant group of people who regard US laws and law enforcement as illegitimate. Set in contemporary Northern California, the narration follows Adam, the son of Vietnam veteran Sten Stenson and his much older […]
“A tale for young people of all ages” about self-reflection, the quality of mercy and social injustice. Tom is the youngest child of a poor family, living in London. One day, by coincidence, he meets Edward, the Prince of Wales. The two immediately notice their remarkable resemblance and are each fascinated by the life led […]
Both a psychological thriller and an essential critique of contemporary capitalist society on consumerism, perfection, masculinity and rebellion. Fight Club’s narrator lives a regular life, working for an insurance company and collecting Ikea furniture in his free time. Suffering from insomnia, he visits support groups at night so he can experience other people’s suffering. When […]
A fascinating collection of interconnected poems by Saul Williams reflecting on the demise of his relationship with Marcia Jones, his girlfriend, with whom he has a daughter, for several years. The speaker ruminates over freedom, ‘love’s suffering addiction’, the problems a lack of communication can cause and the visible and invisible scars a relationship can […]
This highly symbolical one-act play explores nationalism, patriotism, invasion, and sacrifice. The setting is a house in a small coastal town in 1798, Ireland. The Gillane family is preparing for the wedding of their son Peter when a mysterious old woman (Cathleen ni Houlihan) appears and foregrounds things of greater significance than a quiet married […]
A collection of poetry and prose originally published in 1970 that critically reflects the past, present and future of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia. The lines of Oodgeroo – also known as Kath Walker – problematise Australia’s colonial history, demand for Aboriginal rights, respect, justice and offer hope and reconciliation. The […]
This holocaust novel explores loss, nationalism, anti-Semitism and the power of friendship across borders and fences. The readers follow nine-year-old Bruno, who lives with his parents and sister Gretel in Berlin in 1943. As Bruno’s father, who works as a commanding officer, gets promoted, his family moves to a new house in the middle of […]
Years after breaking up, Bill and Mary randomly meet on the street. Despite the time that has passed and the two of them having new partners and children, Mary still seems to be emotionally attached to Bill. But after a short exchange of words, they go their separate ways. This short story shows that what […]
A classic children’s novel about poverty and wealth, humility, kindness and greed. Charlie is an eleven-year-old boy who loves chocolate and lives with his parents and grandparents in a little hut close to a big city. They do not have a lot of money, but Charlie and his family live a happy life until Charlie’s […]
A dystopian movie drama about power, subversion and the lengths some people will go to protect their family: In Katniss’ world, survival is everything. She lives in a poor, rural district of a future version of the North-American continent re-shaped by a disaster. For the meagre support provided by the Capitol, all the districts have […]
This gothic tale tells a scary but humourous story of greed, marriage and the power of imagination. Coming from New York, the main character and poor schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane attempts to win the heart and hand of Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of the richest farmer in Sleepy Hollow. The small, quiet and somehow enchanted […]
A humourous coming-of-age graphic novel about love, friendship, teenage troubles (alcohol, sexuality, violence…) and intercultural contact. Junior is a 14-year old Native-American teenager who grows up in the Spokane Indian Reservation in the State of Washington. Being bullied because of his special needs, he decides to visit an all-white public high school off the reservation, […]
A dystopian novel about global warming, environmental pollution, love and the loss of biodiversity. In the year 2025, 75-year-old Tyrone works as a caretaker at the estate of a wealthy rockstar in California which functions as the habitat for animals that are the last of their kind. Climate change has caused mass extinctions and rice […]
A coming-of-age novel about patriarchy, racism, social injustices and rape. Esperanza is a teenage girl living with her family in Chicago. In short episodes she tells the reader about her life, growing up on Mango Street in a poor Mexican-American community. Esperanza grows up, makes friends, falls in love and endures sexual assault. Through all […]
This young adult novel set in a small town in Pennsylvania explores themes such as racism, loss, inequality and homelessness. Jeffrey Magee is a young, homeless drifter and ends up in Two Mills, a town that is strictly divided into a white and a black community. Jeffrey visits both communities, experiences racial tensions and tries […]
A historical novel about friendship, betrayal, discrimination, guilt and redemption. Amir lives in the USA and remembers his childhood in Kabul, entwined with Afghanistan’s troubled history. How the communists took over, the Soviets invaded, how he escaped and settled in the USA together with his father who struggled to adapt to the new environment. But […]
Set in Nigeria during the late 19th century, this tragic novel problematises the battle between tradition and change, the role of colonialism, religion and patriarchy. Okonkwo is a respected member of his community, the Igbo people. When white missionaries arrive, Okonkwo’s son, like many others, converts to Christianity. Tensions rise between the natives and the […]