Pauline Melville
(Guyana 1959). Her father is from Guyana, her mother is English. She lived and worked in Jamaica and French Guyana for some time. She now lives in London. In 1997, she was awarded the prestigious Whitbread First Novel Award for The Ventriloquist's tale. A year later she was nominated for the Orange Prize, the literary prize for the best women's novel. She also wrote two collections of short stories: Shape-Shifter (1991) and Migration of Ghosts (1998).
WN 2001
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Archive available for: Pauline Melville
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Live Anthology: taboos of love and literature
With: Antjie Krog, Ayu Utami, Basil Appollis, Ernest Pépin, Fouad Laroui, Frank Martinus Arion, Gerrit Komrij, Manon Uphoff, Michaël Zeeman, Pauline Melville
'These are the same people who used to think that anything goes and everything should be allowed. Now they want to prohibit everything which they suspect might bring enjoyment to someone else' (Gerrit Komrij).
Maybe 'taboo' is the most culturally specific notion possible. In the Netherlands, taboos in love or literature seem out of date since the 1960s. But in South Africa, a novel about homosexuality comes as a shock, and a South African makes internationally controversial movies about power, love and violence. Cultures collide when talking about taboos, so this should be a great starting point for a discussion with a collection of internationally renowned authors. This afternoon, eight writers read their favorite fragments from world literature with the theme of the taboo. In the ensuing conversation, the boundaries of culture and religion become apparent. Dutch/English spoken. -
Hidden Hostility
A monument to remember slavery is an important and sensitive subject matter at the moment, especially for the different (ex-) colonial territories the Caribian. Frank Martinus Arion (Curaçao) is an important spokesman in this matter. With Pauline Melville (born in former British Guyana), author of The Ventriloquist's Tale and Ernest Pépin, from the French colony Guadeloupe, he discussed hidden hostility and the consequences of interfering with tradition. English and French spoken.
