You are here: Homepage Tag personal history Articles Helon Habila at a talk in Abuja Photo: private Literature | Personal history Living words The writer Helon Habila grew up in Nigeria, later moved to the UK and now lives in the USA. In his books he revisits the people, places and politics he has experienced first-hand By Helon Habila 12/19/2024 Photo: Ole Witt Personal history | Myanmar “I always knew what I wanted” Doctor and author, Ma Thida, spent a long time in prison as a result of fighting for democracy in Myanmar. Regardless, she hopes to return to her country soon By Ma Thida 02/26/2024 Literature | Libya Messenger from the Sahara Born into a Tuareg family, Ibrahim al-Koni has written about his birthplace for half a century. On why the desert won't let him go and why words can never do it justice By Ibrahim al-Koni 01/26/2024 Photo: Kristin Bethge Personal history | Angola The artist with two faces Between fiction and beats, between Africa and Europe: as an author and musician, Kalaf Epalanga is always travelling between worlds By Kalaf Epalanga 12/22/2023 The South African human rights lawyer Navi Pillay was, among other things, High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations. Photo: Wikus de Wet / Getty Images Personal history | South Africa Law as a tool for freedom From the South African slum to the top of the United Nations: Judge Navi Pillay reflects on an eventful life By Navi Pillay 06/01/2023 Musa Okwonga in front of the Oberbaumbrücke in Berlin Photo: Kasia Zacharko Personal history | UK to Germany A healing journey The author Musa Okwonga hasn’t looked back on his decision to leave his home country Great Britain. On a life between Eton College, day-to-day life in Berlin and memories of Uganda By Musa Okwonga 01/09/2023 Mohammad El Hassan at work in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg Photo: Cécile Calla Personal history | Lebanon Stateless no more Civil war, nightly air raids, a lack of water: as a refugee from Palestine, Mohammad El-Hassan, felt he had no future in Lebanon. He fled to Berlin in 2003 and today works as a cook in Prenzlauer Berg By Mohammad El-Hassan 10/01/2022 Soura on stage dancing in cobalt blue robe. Scene from the "Messiah" performance with the German Symphony Orchestra 2018 in Berlin. Photo: Kai Bienert Personal history | Burkina Faso Black Messiah Ahmed Soura lost his family in Burkina Faso and suffered racism in Europe. When he danced to Händel’s “Messiah” in Berlin, he understood: those who really want to be free must redeem themselves By Ahmed Soura 07/01/2022 German scholar, author and keynote speaker Auma Obama Photo: Picture Alliance Personal history | From Kenya to Germany In a strong voice Auma Obama is a German scholar, sociologist, author - and Barack Obama’s sister. She doesn’t like to discuss her famous brother, preferring to talk about her work between Germany and Kenya By Auma Obama 04/01/2021
Helon Habila at a talk in Abuja Photo: private Literature | Personal history Living words The writer Helon Habila grew up in Nigeria, later moved to the UK and now lives in the USA. In his books he revisits the people, places and politics he has experienced first-hand By Helon Habila 12/19/2024
Photo: Ole Witt Personal history | Myanmar “I always knew what I wanted” Doctor and author, Ma Thida, spent a long time in prison as a result of fighting for democracy in Myanmar. Regardless, she hopes to return to her country soon By Ma Thida 02/26/2024
Literature | Libya Messenger from the Sahara Born into a Tuareg family, Ibrahim al-Koni has written about his birthplace for half a century. On why the desert won't let him go and why words can never do it justice By Ibrahim al-Koni 01/26/2024
Photo: Kristin Bethge Personal history | Angola The artist with two faces Between fiction and beats, between Africa and Europe: as an author and musician, Kalaf Epalanga is always travelling between worlds By Kalaf Epalanga 12/22/2023
The South African human rights lawyer Navi Pillay was, among other things, High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations. Photo: Wikus de Wet / Getty Images Personal history | South Africa Law as a tool for freedom From the South African slum to the top of the United Nations: Judge Navi Pillay reflects on an eventful life By Navi Pillay 06/01/2023
Musa Okwonga in front of the Oberbaumbrücke in Berlin Photo: Kasia Zacharko Personal history | UK to Germany A healing journey The author Musa Okwonga hasn’t looked back on his decision to leave his home country Great Britain. On a life between Eton College, day-to-day life in Berlin and memories of Uganda By Musa Okwonga 01/09/2023
Mohammad El Hassan at work in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg Photo: Cécile Calla Personal history | Lebanon Stateless no more Civil war, nightly air raids, a lack of water: as a refugee from Palestine, Mohammad El-Hassan, felt he had no future in Lebanon. He fled to Berlin in 2003 and today works as a cook in Prenzlauer Berg By Mohammad El-Hassan 10/01/2022
Soura on stage dancing in cobalt blue robe. Scene from the "Messiah" performance with the German Symphony Orchestra 2018 in Berlin. Photo: Kai Bienert Personal history | Burkina Faso Black Messiah Ahmed Soura lost his family in Burkina Faso and suffered racism in Europe. When he danced to Händel’s “Messiah” in Berlin, he understood: those who really want to be free must redeem themselves By Ahmed Soura 07/01/2022
German scholar, author and keynote speaker Auma Obama Photo: Picture Alliance Personal history | From Kenya to Germany In a strong voice Auma Obama is a German scholar, sociologist, author - and Barack Obama’s sister. She doesn’t like to discuss her famous brother, preferring to talk about her work between Germany and Kenya By Auma Obama 04/01/2021
