the things i am thinking while smiling politely …

by Sharon Dodua Otoo

“the things i am thinking while smiling politely” is the story of the decline and break-up of a marriage as well as the consequences for close family and friends. Ama loses her sista, Kareem learns to mistrust a good friend, the siblings Ash and Beth have to fight for their mother’s affection, Till and his wife drift away from each other… Sensitively, honestly and with a special sense of humour, the woman with all these roles describes how she rediscovers herself – and not only in the positive sense.

Following years of activist work in the Black German community, Sharon Dodua Otoo continues to pursue empowerment as a theme, this time in the field of literature. Sharon weaves her observations on everyday racism and privilege into the story of a Black British woman whose marriage breaks down.

Genres: Germany, German Literature, British Literature, Fiction, Contemporary, Anti Racist

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Sharon Dodua Otoo is a British writer, publicist and activist. In 2016 she was awarded the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize for her first short story in the German language. Otoo’s writing encompasses magical realism, Afrofuturism, identity issues, relationships and empowerment.