So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba

featuring Emily Burrill, Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Director, African Studies Center

Meeting Date: Tuesday, September 18

Winner of the first ever Noma Award for Publishing in Africa

“Written by award-winning African novelist Mariama Ba and translated from the original French, So Long a Letter has been recognized as one of Africa’s 100 Best Books of the 20th Century. The brief narrative, written as an extended letter, is a sequence of reminiscences—some wistful, some bitter—recounted by recently widowed Senegalese schoolteacher Ramatoulaye Fall. Addressed to a lifelong friend, Aissatou, it is a record of Ramatoulaye’s emotional struggle for survival after her husband betrayed their marriage by taking a second wife. This semi-autobiographical account is a perceptive testimony to the plight of educated and articulate Muslim women.”—Waveland Press

“So Long a Letter was published to immediate literary acclaim, and it went on to become one of the first novels by an African woman to gain international attention.”—LitCharts

TUITION: $25, includes a copy of the book

Register online or call 919.962.1544

Please note that the image may not reflect the edition being used for the reading group.