Profound and moving, Lauri Kubuitsile’s The Scattering offers insights into the lives of Tjipuka, daughter of a Herero chief, and Riette, daughter of a Dutch settler, against the backdrop of the colonial wars in southern Africa at the beginning of the 20th century. While the latter witnesses the war between the Boers and the British in what is now South Africa at first hand, Tjipuka struggles with her experiences during the German genocide of the Herero in what is now Namibia. Despite their different life situations, the novel not only creates an encounter between the women, who both suffer from the traumatic experiences of the wars. The Scattering also prompts reflection on notions of freedom and independence from different perspectives that seem to oppose yet not contradict each other.

Botswana-based writer Lauri Kubuitsile enriches the literary world with her stories for children, teens and adults, and knows how to express herself in a variety of genres. She is the author of crime stories, romantic novels and judicial thrillers, among others. Her children’s books, of which she has written more than 30, are now required reading in schools in Botswana and South Africa.

Programme

Welcome Remarks:
Karla Kutzner, InterKontinental

Reading and discussion:
Lauri Kubuitsile, Author

Moderation
Larissa Pflüger, Scientific Advisor, German Africa Foundation