Uzinduzi [Die Vernissage]

Imetafsiriwa kwa Kiswahili na Abdilatif Abdalla na Alena Rettová

Author: Václav Havel †. Translated by: Abdilatif Abdalla, Alena Rettová. With an epilogue by: Abdilatif Abdalla, Alena Rettová.

2006
71 pp.
Text language(s): Swahili
Format: 153 x 153 mm
180 g
Hardcover
€ 26.80

Order 'Uzinduzi [Die Vernissage]' as print edition »

The present book presents the Swahili translation of Václav Havel’s theatre play Vernissage (Uzinduzi), one part of the Vanek-trilogy. In every of the three tragicomic one-act plays the protagonist, Ferdinand Vanek, comes across different adaptation models of his fellow citizens in an unfree society. In Uzinduzi Vanek is invited by a couple he is friends with to marvel at their perfect son, their beautiful flat, and their more as well functioning love life. They think their life in the socialistic world is desirable, and they let their friend know that his life could be as nice and easy as theirs, if he only would stop being so dissident

This play, written in 1975, was translated into Swahili and complemented by an epilogue concerning the life and work of Havel by the two Swahili-lecturers Abdilatif Abdalla (formerly University of Leipzig / Germany) and Alena Rettová (SOAS / London) in 2005.

Václav Havel (* 5. October 1936 in Prague, † 18.12.2011 in Vlcice-Hrádecek) – a poet, philosopher, and politician – was one of the leading dissidents of Czechoslovakia during the communist leadership. He was essentially involved in the Velvet Revolution of 1989, and became President of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until 1992. After the country became the Czech Republic he was President from 1993 until 2003.

Havel caused a political sensation criticizing publicly the censorship and the absurdity of the power device of the communist party. His plays which are in tradition of the absurd theatre essentially moulded the atmosphere in his country.

In this time Havel was arrested three times spending a total of five years in prison. His jail sentence was interrupted in 1983 due to international protests as Havel fell ill and was released to a public hospital.

Under these links you will find publications by the contributors and further text editions and analyses of Swahili literature:

Accompanying material:

• Afrophone Philosophies (ISBN 978-3-89645-251-1)
• Beyond the Language Issue (ISBN 978-3-89645-819-3)
• Chanter l’existence (ISBN 978-3-89645-287-0)
• Dunia Yao – Utopia/Dystopia in Swahili Fiction (ISBN 978-3-89645-736-3)

Cross-reference:

• African Languages in Global Society / Les langues africaines à l’heure de la mondialisation / Lugha za Kiafrika kwenye enzi ya utandawazi (ISBN 978-3-89645-259-7)
• African Media Cultures – Cultures de médias en Afrique (ISBN 978-3-89645-246-7)
• Development and Modernity in Africa (ISBN 978-3-89645-633-5)
• Global Heritage – Tradition and Innovation (ISBN 978-3-89645-249-8)
• Life is a Thriller (ISBN 978-3-89645-830-8)
• Perspectives in African Intercultural Philosophical Studies (ISBN 978-3-89645-725-7)
• Vamps and Victims (ISBN 978-3-927620-74-2)

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