Monica Macias – Black Girl from Pyongyang
22nd October @ 10:30 – 11:30
In 1979, aged only seven, Monica Macias was sent from West Africa to the unfamiliar surroundings of North Korea by her father, the President of Equatorial Guinea, to be educated under the guardianship of his ally, Kim Il Sung.
Within months, her father was executed in a military coup led by her cousin (the still reigning leader), while her mother became unreachable. Effectively orphaned, she and two siblings had to make their life
in Pyongyang. At military boarding school, Monica learned to mix with older children, speak fluent Korean and handle weapons in training exercises.
Reaching adulthood, she went in search of her roots. Spending time in Madrid, Malabo, New York, Seoul
and finally London, at every step she had to reckon with others’ perceptions of her and her adoptive
homeland. Optimistic yet unflinching, Monica’s astonishing and unique story challenges us to see the
world through different eyes.
Monica Macias has lived in many countries around the world in search of her identity as a global citizen, including: Equatorial Guinea, Pyongyang, Seoul, Beijing, Madrid, New York City, and now resides in south London. Black Girl from Pyongyang is her first book to be published in English, and she will be the subject of a forthcoming documentary film.
Monica Macias will be in conversation with Lulu Taylor.
Tickets £12.00 (£8.00 Students)
Tickets are not available for general purchase until 29th August.
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