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Duckworth Books lands ‘remarkable’ Black Girl from Pyongyang by Macias
Duckworth Books has landed Black Girl from Pyongyang: In Search of My Identity, the “extraordinary” true story from Monica Macias.
Publisher Rowan Cope, managing director Pete Duncan and sales, marketing and publicity director Matt Casbourne acquired world rights, including audio, directly from the author. The book will be released in hardback and e-book in March 2023.
Macias is the youngest daughter of Francisco Macias, the first president of Equatorial Guinea following its independence. In 1979 she was sent to school in North Korea with her two siblings, under the protection of Kim Il-sung. When Macias’ father was overthrown and executed in a coup, Macias made her life in Pyongyang. Upon reaching adulthood, she “went in search of her roots”, living in Spain, Equatorial Guinea, China, South Korea, the US and the UK. “At every step, she had to reckon with her own ideas about the West and its damning perceptions of her adoptive homeland,” the publisher said.
“Monica’s life story is remarkable and truly unique – not to mention emotive, soul-searching and deeply thought-provoking,” commented Cope. “In charting her astonishing journey from childhood to today, she touches our hearts and challenges our thinking on international and race relations, colonialism and its impacts, and the meaning of home. Black Girl from Pyongyang offers fascinating insights into what are, to many Westerners, two largely unknown and sometimes surprising cultures – those of North Korea and Equatorial Guinea. I cannot imagine the person who would fail to be blown away by Monica’s story, and all of us at Duckworth are delighted to bring it to readers around the world.”
Macias said: “It is with great happiness and genuine excitement that I share my story, in my own words, with Western readers. My life’s journey has been a complex one of emotional challenges and joy and above all learning as I found ways to understand my identity. By telling this story that unfolds across several ideologically and culturally contrasting societies, in North Korea, West Africa and a handful of Western countries, I wished to bring about a mutual understanding and respect. I hope readers will enjoy the book.”
