Black German-language fiction has a long tradition that has come alive in many movements. From early works of fiction, such as the first novel by Black author Dualla Misipo at the end of the Weimar Republic, to current titles.⁠ ⁠ With "Resonanzen - Schwarzes Literaturfestival", a three-day festival took place in May 2022 that provided impulses for rethinking, reimagining and further developing perspectives and experiences within the German-language literary scene. The publication accompanying the festival presents the short stories of the six invited authors, traces the discussions of the jury and shows the diverse traditions, influences and references of authors of the African diaspora in Germany.⁠ Buy

How could visiting Seoul be described in a way that allows someone else to feel like they are right there? What to say? What perspectives to choose?⁠ ⁠ What Should I Say—About Seoul takes the reader on a path less traveled: The work and daily-life of Korean designers; but not just as a spectator. The book gives a glimpse into South Korean society that is not so common after all. ⁠ ⁠ But don't mistake this book as a travel guide. It is rather full of experiences, focussing on the work as creatives. From working conditions to social interactions.⁠ Buy

Drone Vision: Warfare, Surveillance, Protest brings the perfidious character of drones to the fore. Namely, seeing without being seen - and the associated insecurity and vulnerability, but also the usage for resistance and protest. The book presents three projects that move between art and politics - from migrant protests to colonial surveillance and the aesthetics of drone photography. The latter shows the geological scars and war remnants of five abandoned military sites in Israel - army strongholds, shooting ranges and urban warfare training facilities - and juxtaposes them with the personal and political scars engraved and marked on the private human body. Buy

The world today faces overwhelming environmental and social problems. To combat, change and overcome these challenges, collective action is necessary and inevitable. This has led to new forms of collective art and design practices: Artists collaborate with non-artists, make products for their local environment and take on multiple identities such as researcher, community activist, computer hacker or business consultant.⁠ ⁠ The book "Making Matters" by the fantastic publisher Onomatopee looks at art practices on all continents where the boundaries between art, design, research and activism are blurring or dissolving. ⁠ Buy

Out of the Sun sheds light on the people and stories that have remained in the shadows - more specifically, the stories of Black people that history has not recorded.⁠ ⁠ Edugyan tackles in this book race and representation, memory and belonging, and sensitively explores what it means to be seen and who remains unseen. For change to happen, we must first acknowledge "the vastly unequal places from which we each speak, the ways some have been denied voices when others are so easily heard”, she writes.⁠ Buy

There's been a lot of talk lately about space exploration. But Pauline Julier goes one step further. At a time when billionaires and governments are setting out to control space while our planet is still suffering the consequences of centuries of exploitation, Julier points out that efforts to find new worlds are nothing more than a new form of colonialism. Her visual exploration took her to the Atacama Desert in Chile, where the training grounds for NASA's rovers are located next to one of the largest lithium mines in the world. A place where the destructive capitalisation of our planet is most palpable, right next to the attempt to find new habitable worlds or at least some mineable resources. What ever the cost. Buy

In search of her ancestors, Françoise Caraco travelled to Istanbul numerous times and spoke to people who had known a Caraco or Karako - or at least remembered the name. This gave her a unique glimpse into the culture of the Sephardic Jews who have lived in the Turkish metropolis for centuries but are not seen by most people. In 'Hidden Istanbul', Françoise Caraco sensitively interweaves family memories with her own contemporary photographs from her trip and research, mixed with different voices from Istanbul's Jewish community. The result is a rich and nuanced portrait of a vanishing past and a still vibrant present of a city from the perspective of a largely unknown part of its population. Buy

Here at do you read me?!, we are blessed with all sorts of interesting customers. Tourists from all over the world in search of unusual publications (and lots of tote bags); awkward couples on obvious first dates searching our shelves for books as well as a basic thread of conversation; the occasional gigantic dog roaming in with its owner and promptly sprawling over a sizable section of our little shop. But in the end, nothing tops the simple pleasure of seeing a customer derive visible, almost tactile joy, when they finally hold the latest issue of their favourite magazine in their hands. This month’s installment of our Surprise Subscription is a prime example of this particular phenomenon. We are excited to share with you… Real Review! More

Climate change, political conflict, discrimination, displacement, and social justice - this new issue of Foam Talent addresses the pressing problems of our times and reminds us that photography has the capability to capture the unspeakable. ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ 20 upcoming talents in photography look closely at both the world around us, and the one within — without shying away from discomfort or pain. Rather, they use the photographic medium to respond to, digest and navigate a world that continues to present new challenges and problematic structures.⁠⁠ Buy

This is a stunning and heartbreaking photo book at the same time. French photographer Mohamed Bourouissa's iconic visual account of violence, social inequality, but also unexpected beauty and tenderness in the Parisian banlieues is published here in its entirety for the first time.⁠⁠ Buy

As We Rise presents an exciting compilation of photographs from African diasporic culture. With over one hundred works by Black artists from Canada, the Caribbean, Great Britain, the United States, South America, as well as throughout the African continent, this volume provides a timely exploration of Black identity on both sides of the Atlantic.⁠ ⁠ As Teju Cole describes in his preface, “Too often in the larger culture, we see images of Black people in attitudes of despair, pain, or brutal isolation. As We Rise gently refuses that. It is not that people are always in an attitude of celebration—no, that would be a reverse but corresponding falsehood—but rather that they are present as human beings, credible, fully engaged in their world.” Drawn from Dr. Kenneth Montague’s Wedge Collection in Toronto—a Black-owned collection dedicated to artists of African descent—As We Rise looks at the multifaceted ideas of Black life through the lenses of community, identity, and power. Buy

It’s a new year, and with it comes a new installment of our Surprise Subscription. This month, we bring you the very first issue of the new publication from the makers of Kajet Journal: introducing ‘The Future Of…’ More