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Die Entstehung der Rubrik wurde durch eine Förderung des Hauptstadtkulturfonds ermöglicht. 

Sharon Dodua Otoo

Author

Sharon Dodua Otoo
© Ralf Steinberger 2014

Profile

Born: 1972
Birthplace: London
Country of birth: Great Britain
Lives in: Berlin, Mitte


Language: English
Working language: English, German

Vita

Sharon Dodua Otoo, the Ingeborg-Bachmann-Prize winner of 2016, is a Black British mother, activist, author, and editor of the English language book series Witnessed. (›Black‹ is deliberately written with a capital B.) Her most recent publication is the German language novella Synchronicity (edition assemblage, 2014) which appeared in English at the end of 2015. Sharon's first novella the things i am thinking while smiling politely was published in English in 2012 and appeared in German as die dinge, die ich denke, während ich höflich lächele in 2013 (both also in edition assemblage). Sharon is an active member of the “Initiative Black People in Germany” (Die Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland [ISD-Bund] e.V.) and Phoenix e.V. She lives, laughs, and works in Berlin.

6 Questions

What brought you to Berlin? Love? World politics? Or was it a coincidence?

I came to Berlin for the first time as an exchange student. That was back in 1995.


What do you love about Berlin?

The activist communities, which achieve wonderful things in this city.


What do you miss in Berlin?

British Humour.


What is your favorite spot in Berlin?

"Ebe Ano", a Nigerian restaurant in Schöneberg.


Would you say you are a different person in Berlin? A different translator? And if yes, in what way?

Yes! Here I am now known as the winner of the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize and I am getting my very own profile at Literaturport. In England it's more like „Sharon who“?


Which existing literary work do you wish you had written?

„The Canterbury Tales“ by Geoffrey Chaucer

Awards

2016  Ingeborg Bachmann Prize

Work

Publications in german

Publications in original language

Synchronicity - the original story

edition assemblage, Münster, 2015 Novella

the things i am thinking while smiling politely

edition assemblage, Münster, 2012 Novella

Editorship

Winter Shorts

edition assemblage, Münster, 2015 Short stories

The Little Book of Big Visions. How to be an Artist and Revolutionise the World

edition assemblage, Münster, 2012 Anthology