German Calendar No December by Sylvia Ofili

German Calendar No December by Sylvia Ofili
Sunday 7 July, 12:00 – 12:30
British Library Knowledge Centre, Main Auditorium


Book launch with the author chaired by Olumide Popoola.

Exploring mixed identity and migration with humanity and humour, we present the UK launch of Sylvia Ofili’s graphic novel set between Nigeria and Germany.

Olivia Evezi’s childhood is a happy one; her days are spent listening to highlife records and poring over colourful postcards from Germany. When she leaves her hometown of Warri behind to live out her Enid Blyton fantasies in a boarding school in Lagos, instead of adventure and lacrosse, she is met with punishments, endless chores and hazing rituals.

Olivia’s restlessness takes her to Germany, her mother’s homeland, where she is thrown into a hidden world of workers and migrants; a world of constant vigilance, where a piece of paper can hold the key to survival. Olivia finds that she is destined to always be an outsider – too white for Nigeria and too black for Germany – and so must learn to define herself and her place in the world beyond the labels that have been given to her: exotic, foreign, oyinbo.

German Calendar No December is a candid and reflective coming of age tale about learning to navigate the world, with the help of good music, good books, good friends, and a touch of courage.

Listen to the event on Mixcloud!

 

Included in Weekend Pass and Sunday Day Ticket.

Image: Sylvia Ofili by Martin Arce Lindqvist