So finally today the new edition of the communist manifesto by Karl Marx was published. This new edition features a foreword by Hannah van Binsbergen, a reading guideline by Helmer Stoel, and essays by Harriët Bergman, Reiner Hendrikse and myself. I wrote an essay on the sometimes complicated relationship between Marxism and the Black Radical Tradition.
The past year I’ve been working on the translation of Nele Marian’s poetry, she was the first Belgian poet of African descent. The poems are a part of a book on Nele Marian’s life written by Nadia Nsayi and published by Uitgeverij de Geus . It will be available on the 28th of November https://www.singeluitgeverijen.nl/de-geus/boek/congolina/
I wrote an article for de Nederlandse Boekengids about racial passing in the United States, and how this theme is handled in books such as Passing by Nella Larsen, The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett and Mariah Carey’s autobiography The Meaning of Mariah Carey. I link this theme of passing with the idea or rather illusion of the American dream and the notion of the selfmade man and I discuss various stories in American fiction such as The Great Gatsby, Mad Men and Ginny & Georgia that features characters who change their identity in order to pursue the American dream.
https://www.nederlandseboekengids.com/20230413-grace-ndjako/
I am very proud to have gotten the honor of being jury chairman for the Prijs voor de Jonge Kunstkritiek 2022 (Prize for young art critics). The jury was very impressed with the quality of the submissions. I would like to congratulate all the winners; Lena van Tijen, Loren Snel, Lara den Hartog Jager for their wonderful essays. Congrats to Laura Herman, Zoë Dankert, Emma van Meyeren for their thoughtful and insightful reviews. And finally a big congrats to Zoë Dankert and Alix de Massiac for their podcast.
Also many thanks to Hasna El Maroudi for her keynote lecture and Munganyende Hélène Christelle for her beautiful recitation at the award ceremony.
The full juryreport here, as well as all the essays and reviews, can be read here: http://publicatie.jongekunstkritiek.net/pdf/publicatie-de-Prijs-voor-de-Jonge-Kunstkritiek-2022.pdf
Picture by Jeroen Lavèn
I wrote an essay on the oral tradition and listening as practice in African philosophy and Black music such as Jazz and Congolese Rumba for Wijsgerig Perspectief in the latest issue of Filosofie Magazine.
I am happy to announce that I signed a contract with Uitgeverij De Geus to translate the poetry of Congolese-Belgian poet Nele Marian. I am really excited about this project as Nele Marian, born in the Congo in 1906, was one of the first female poets of African origin in Belgium.
Her poetry will be part of a book about her life written by Congolese-Belgian political scientist Nadia Nsayi. She will also provide historical and political context, as one can see that the original publisher was called “L’Expansion Coloniale”.
Dan is nu ook de shortlist voor de Hypatiaprijs 2022 bekend:
De prijs voor het beste filosofieboek geschreven door een vrouw wordt uitgereikt op 28 mei.
De longlist voor de Hypatia-prijs 2022 is bekend. De prijs voor het beste filosofieboek geschreven door een vrouw wordt in mei uitgereikt.
My Translation of Aimé Césaire’s Discours sur le colonialisme is officially out! You can order it online or get it at your local bookstore. https://www.singeluitgeverijen.nl/de-geus/boek/over-het-kolonialisme/
I am incredibly honored to have been a part of Iris Kensmil’s ‘Some of my souls’ exhibition. I can’t believe my portrait is hanging at Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam along those of other Black artists and activists I admire. The exhibition can be visited until March 2022.
Grâce Ndjako 