In
And Then Life Happens Auma Obama, the half-sister of US president Barack Obama tells the story of her family, focusing on her relationship with her father as well as her brother Barack, but also on her own search for identity and belonging.
The book, which was originally published under the title
Das Leben kommt immer dazwischen: Stationen einer Reise, was released in English translation in April.
Born in Kenya, Auma leaves the country at the age of 19 to study in Germany. During her 16 years there, she is confronted with the contradictions between European and African culture. She is afraid of not really belonging to either. Her personal story gives an insight into life between different cultures - a life influenced by notions of migration and globalisation, frustration and the feeling of being torn apart.
Reading and discussion - admission free
Auma Obama will read and discuss her story in German on 13 June at 19:00 and in English on 14 June at 19:00 at the library of the Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg (119 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parkwood).
Another reading in English will take place on 15 June at 19:00 at 6 Spin Street Restaurant in Cape Town, during the Cape Town Book Fair.
Find more information on
And then life happens, including a synopsis and review, in our portal
Writing about Africa:
www.goethe.de/ins/za/prj/sua/gen/bio/wer/lki/enindex.htm For Obama's biographical information, go to Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auma_Obama RSVP:
lic@johannesburg.goethe.org