On 3 September at 11:30 a.m., the Italian Club of Johannesburg (at 7 Marais Road Bedfordview) will host the presentation of the book “Afritalian” by Federica Marchesini. The presentation has been organised by the Italian Club of Johannesburg in cooperation with the Italian Cultural Institute of Pretoria and will be held in English. Admission to the presentation is free of charge. With this book, the author wishes to share her reflections on life and to guide the reader to experience her tale in a direct, visual manner. “Da un Capo all’altro” – the original title of the book in Italian [literally: From one Cape to another, translator’s note] – is Federica Marchesini’s first novel, and the English version “Afritalian” was released on the South African market in March. The version in Afrikaans is currently being prepared and should be ready for publication by the end of 2017.
The protagonist of the novel, Atena Monti, a woman who is increasingly less Italian and more and more cosmopolitan, embarks on a physical, mental and linguistic trip from South Africa to Italy, from the Italian to South African language and vice versa. Atena’s trip provides food for thought on the result of her striving to strike a compromise in order to appreciate diversity, midway between stereotypes and her own habits.
