“And, bloom again” by Kiyémis, read by Justine Thevenin, graphic designer and artist

I drop my sister off at the end of one of Athens' subways after a month and a half of traveling together. I open Instagram and see that I've been asked to write a short article about my latest readings. I've just finished the novels I took with me on this trip, including Et, refleurir by Kiyémis , a poet, essayist, and Afro-feminist activist. So I happily say yes, and here's what I think.

During this trip, I too blossomed again as I followed Andoun, the very real heroine of this first novel. Oscillating between her Cameroonian village Nyokon and Paris, she experiences hardships, pain but also moments of joy and celebration. I wanted her to rest, to find people and places where she can let go of everything because "after all, a traveler, however courageous, needs an oasis to rest." I say that she is very real because her story is inspired by that of the author's grandmother who fights for her independence within a conservative family. Also because Kiyémis describes the daily lives of many people in this world, evolving in a society where colonization and neo-colonialism are still very present. For me, Ando