In the organizer's words:

Bestselling author Tupoka Ogette is coming to Babylon for the German premiere of her memoir "Trotzdem zuhause", which will be published on February 25, 2026! Together with journalist & author Alice Hasters, she will talk about growing up and living as a black woman in a divided Germany - a country full of ambivalence and upheaval.

Please note: There will be explicit discussions about racism, sexism, eating disorders, sexual abuse and violence. VA not suitable for children.

Tupoka Ogette writes about the search for belonging, about life in contradiction, in the in-between. She tells of growing up as a black child in the GDR, of escape, loss, sexism and violence - but also of love, motherhood, resilience and self-empowerment. Of friendships she makes and those she loses. Of new beginnings in the FRG. And of finding calm in the storm.

"This is how my story begins. As the daughter of a white woman and a black man. Between Sange, southern Tanzania, and Gera, Thuringia. Between a colonial past and the GDR dictatorship."

"Rarely do you read texts that are written with such an open, honest heart. Tupoka Ogette tells of life and survival in Germany. Of struggle and triumph. Of despair and hope. A masterclass in what simultaneity means." Alice Hasters

"This book is the narrative without which the story of German unification is not complete." Daniel Schulz

Tupoka Ogette was born in Leipzig in 1980, the daughter of a Tanzanian student of agriculture and a German student of mathematics. Shortly before reunification, her mother emigrated with her to West Berlin, where Ogette lived until she graduated from high school. She holds a Master's degree in African Studies and German as a Foreign Language from the University of Leipzig and a Master's degree in International Business from the Graduate School of Grenoble. Since 2012, Tupoka Ogette has been working nationwide as a consultant and trainer in the field of racism criticism. In this role, she runs workshops and training courses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, appears as a speaker and advises teams and organizations. Her handbook published in March 2017 "exit RACISM. Learning to think critically about racism", published in March 2017, is a SPIEGEL bestseller. In 2019, Ogette was named one of the 25 most influential women of the year by Edition F magazine. SPIEGEL Online included her as one of ten women in its educational canon on theory and politics. In 2021, she was voted "Idol of The Year" by About You. She lives in Berlin with her husband, the artist and sculptor Stephen Lawson, and their children. Penguin published her books "Und jetzt du. Rassismuskritisch leben" and "Tag für Tag aktiv gegen Rassismus".

Alice Hasters is an author, journalist and cultural critic. In 2019, she published the longseller "Was weiße Menschen nicht über Rassismus hören wollen, aber wissen sollten" (hanserblau). The major (identity) crises of our present day and society are the focus of her second non-fiction book "Identitätskrise" (hanserblau), published in October 2023. She is working as an editor for "Tagesschau" and "Jetzt mal konkret" (rbb) until 2021 and as a host for "Einhundert - Storys mit Alice Hasters" (Dlf Nova) until 2022. Together with her friend Maxi Häcke, she has been producing and presenting the podcast "Feuer&Brot" since 2016, in which the two of them take a close look at current topics from pop culture, politics and society every two weeks.

Guests can buy Tupoka Ogette's new book on site at a book table and have it signed directly by the author.

This event is a cooperation between Penguin, Babylon and BUCHBOX!