Author: Zoe Paddon

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Scholastique Mukasonga awarded the Simone de Beauvoir Prize for Women’s Freedom

Scholastique Mukasonga, author of Our Lady of the Nile, Cockroaches, The Barefoot Woman and Igifu, was awarded the prestigious Simone de Beauvoir Prize for Women’s Freedom for 2021.

The prize, which has been awarded since 2008, was created to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of feminist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986). It honors individuals and associations who, in the spirit of Simone de Beauvoir, fight to defend women’s rights wherever they are comprised.

Born in Rwanda, Scholastique Mukasonga makes history as the first African woman to be honored with the human rights prize. Please join us in celebrating her incredible accomplishment.

 

Read more about her historic win here and here.

 

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Jennifer Shyue on navigating identities and mother tongues in The Common

 

Jennifer Shyue, translator of Julia Wong Kcomt’s forthcoming Bi-rey-nato, reflects on the different layers of her identity as a Taiwanese-American translator of Spanish. She writes about belonging and/or not belonging in many different cultures, about trying to explain her “hyphenation” to her mother, and about the double-edged sword that is the concept of “a mother tongue.” Read her poignant essay on The Common. 

 

Jennifer Shyue is a translator focusing on contemporary Cuban and Asian-Peruvian writers. Her work has been supported by grants from Fulbright, Princeton University, and the University of Iowa and has appeared in 91st Meridian, The Offing, Hyperallergic, and elsewhere. Her translation of Julia Wong Kcomt’s Bi-rey-nato is forthcoming from Ugly Duckling Presse’s Señal chapbook series. She can be found on the web at shyue.co.