Joaquim Arena

Dec 6, 2023 | wordswithoutborders.org | Siamak Herawi |Joaquim Arena |Lucy Hannah |Alexander Aguayo

In early autumn, the evenings are brisk and the air rejuvenating. When the sun sets behind the mountains, a breeze cooled by Ab-e Pudah lake weaves its way through the peaks and valleys and drifts into Tali. It brushes through the poplar, willow, and ash trees, blows in through open windows, and carries away the lingering heat of the day. Teacher Sadeq arrives after evening prayers.

Nov 27, 2023 | wordswithoutborders.org | Joaquim Arena |Julia Fiedorczuk |Alexander Aguayo

And then out of the blue a lady stands up and raises issues of race, bringing to the fore matters that would usually be marginalized. She has dark skin and silver hair and introduces herself as a retired secondary school teacher. Her voice is smooth as porcelain, and she speaks with that mixture of charm and candor you get in older women who are past caring for courtesies. She points out that there were more Black slaves in Portugal than in any other country in Europe.

Nov 21, 2023 | kirkusreviews.com | Joaquim Arena |David Grann |Elie Wiesel |Marion Wiesel

A well-written, deeply personal saga that acknowledges the resonance of historical identity, art, and literature in our... A personal story bound up in six centuries of Black European history. After his stepfather’s death, Arena returned from his birthplace and home in Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa, to Portugal, the country where he grew up.