Scholastique Mukasonga joined Martha Cooley at the Community Bookstore to present her new story collection, Igifu. You can watch the conversation – beautifully interpreted by Ellen Sowchek – at the link below.

The autobiographical stories in Igifu rend a glorious Rwanda from the obliterating force of recent history, conjuring the noble cows of her home or the dew-swollen grass they graze on. In the title story, five-year-old Colomba is rescued from merciless igifu, or hunger, by her mother’s healing porridge. This elixir courses through each story, a balm to soothe the pains of those so ferociously fighting for survival.

Martha Cooley is a contributing editor at A Public Space, a professor of English at Adelphi University, and a co-translator of work by Antonio Tabucchi.

Ellen Sowchek is a French-English translator and interpreter. This is her third time interpreting for an event at the Community Bookstore.

Watch here.