Five literary voices from Guinea-Bissau tell of the provisional madness of the teacher Baltazar, who one day no longer appears at the grammar school. About a father and son who swap a herd of cows for two little green books in order to make big money in Europe. About the soldier Zé Crocodilo, who throws himself into a river to save two Portuguese doctors. About a freedom fighter who supplies her comrades in the fight against the colonial power with amulets and medicinal herbs. About Martinho N'fanda, who has to make a decision. And of the seductive fruits of the pitanga tree in the neighbor's yard, which are simply irresistibly tempting ...

The stories approach the challenges of life with great sensitivity. They all have one thing in common: they sparkle with liveliness and originality.

The discussion will be held in Portuguese with a consecutive translation into German, with readings in both languages.

Waldir Araújo, Claudiany da Costa Pereira, Amadú Dafé, Edson Incopté and Marinho de Pina

The neighbor's pitanga tree. Tales from Guinea-Bissau, Edition Noack & Block, 2025

Translation: Johannes Augel, Renate Heß, Rosa Rodrigues

Marinho de Pina is a writer, filmmaker, transdisciplinary artist and performer. He is currently a research associate at the Center for Studies on Socioeconomic Change and Territory in Lisbon and is writing his doctoral thesis on "Sacred Places in Guinea-Bissau". His stories have been published in various anthologies; Marinho de Pina is represented with four texts in The Neighbor's Pitanga Tree.

Renate Heß (Berlin) translates from Portuguese into German with a focus on literature from Guinea-Bissau. Her translations of Abdulai Sila, Zwei Schüsse und ein Lachen. Ein Theaterstück aus Guinea-Bissau (2021) and Die Tage von Kubukaré. A tale from Guinea-Bissau (2023).

Tickets in advance via Eventim or at the Box Office.