Haiti - Reading with Tom Keppeler

Description

Keppeler reads from "Haiti - Slaves, Vodou and an Endless Struggle for Liberation". (Rotpunktverlag) Haiti is "the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere." This is stated in almost every newspaper article about this Caribbean state. And yet Haiti is rich in history, culture, and humanity. This book explains how Haiti was deliberately made into a postcolonial poverty state after the successful slave uprising against the French colonial power and why the spirit of resistance from then until today has not been broken. It shows how Haitians see the world, how they feel, and how they protect their traditions to this day. For the first time in German, the history of Haiti is told from below. It is about ordinary people whose ancestors were kidnapped and enslaved from Africa. About people who created a new, unique culture on the Caribbean island that gave them the strength to drive out the Napoleonic army at a high cost in blood. They defend this culture to this day, against all attempts to portray it as backward and uncivilized. And they are still fighting for their liberation, even against their own elite. And perhaps the first free elections in over ten years will also take place in Haiti this year. Toni Keppeler, born in 1956, has been reporting on Latin America and the Caribbean for over four decades. He spent many years in Central America, was a correspondent for various German-speaking media, and taught journalism at the Central American University in San Salvador. He now lives in Tübingen, works as a freelance journalist for Le Monde diplomatique, Frankfurter Rundschau, Wochenzeitung WOZ, SFR, and as an author. He still regularly travels to Latin America and the Caribbean, most recently to Haiti in 2025. He has been awarded the Theodor Wolff Prize among others for his reports. His latest book will be published on August 5, 2026, by Rotpunktverlag. An event by Grabenhalle, Afrikaribik, and the Comedia bookstore. Book table (including music from Haiti) by the Comedia bookstore.

Highlights

• Reading from "Haiti - Slaves, Vodou and an Endless Struggle for Liberation"
• First German report on the history of Haiti from below
• Venue: Grabenhalle, St. Gallen

General Information

Toni Keppeler presents his new book about the history of Haiti and highlights the cultural and historical aspects of the country. The reading takes place at the Grabenhalle in St. Gallen and offers a deep insight into the challenges and the spirit of resistance of the Haitian population.

Location

Unterer Graben 17, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland

Hide Map

Loading map...

How to get there

Get Directions