Main content

Aminatta Forna

Why author Aminatta Forna is drawn to the topics of betrayal, love and loss.

Talking Books meets Aminatta Forna who was born in Scotland and raised in Sierra Leone. Her father, a former finance minister in the country, was hanged in Sierra Leone in 1975 after being falsely accused of treason. Her first book investigated the events surrounding her father’s death and is an exploration of how, 25 years later, Sierra Leone imploded into civil war.

Through her work she wants to reverse the gaze used by much of Western fiction, especially in regards to Africa. She talks to Razia Iqbal about her focus on countries that have experienced conflict and why she believes fiction can break the silence of trauma. Why does she feel drawn to the topics of betrayal, love and loss?

Available now

25 minutes

Last on

Mon 13 May 2013 19:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 13 May 2013 08:06GMT
  • Mon 13 May 2013 19:06GMT