My Fathers' Daughter

My Fathers' Daughter

Summary

A powerful, intimate memoir of Eritrean-British journalist, Hannah Azieb-Pool, who returns to Eritrea at the age of 30 to meet her family for the first time.

What a story. So vivid, honest and moving' Andrea Levy, author of Small Island

'When I stepped off the plane in Asmara, I had no idea what lay ahead, or how those events would change me . . .'

In her twenties, Hannah-Azieb Pool is given a letter that unravels everything she knows about her life. She knew she was adopted from an orphanage in Eritrea, and as her adoptive family brought her to the UK, they believed she did not have any surviving relatives.


When she discovers the truth in a letter from her brother - that her birth father is alive and her Eritrean family are desperate to meet her - she is faced with a critical choice.

Should she go?

In this intimate memoir, she takes us with her on an extraordinary journey of self-discovery, as she travels to Eritrea to uncover her own story. With radiant warmth, courage and wisdom, Hannah-Azieb disentangles the charged concepts of identity, family and home. Featuring a new introduction from Bernardine Evaristo and an updated afterword from the author, this is a timeless, essential read.

'Remarkable' Observer

Selected by Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, this series rediscovers and celebrates pioneering books from black Britain and the diaspora, which remap the nation and reframe our history.

About the author

Hannah Azieb Pool

Hannah Azieb Pool is Artistic Director & CEO of the Bernie Grant Arts Centre and founder of the Tottenham Literature Festival. A journalist for over 20 years, Hannah Azieb has written for many international publications including The Guardian, The Times, Stylist and Vogue Magazine UK. Hannah Azieb is the author of two books: Fashion Cities Africa and My Fathers' Daughter, and was Associate Editor of Arise Magazine. Hannah Azieb was previously the Senior Programmer for Contemporary Culture at the Southbank Centre, where she curated Africa Utopia, the annual festival celebrating arts and ideas from across Africa and the diaspora, she was also a lead programmer of the WOW Women of the World festival.
Hannah Azieb is a trustee of LIFT (the London International Festival of Theatre), and on the Artist's Advisory Board of the Manchester International Festival and a patron of the SI Leeds prize for unpublished fiction by UK Black and Asian women.
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