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The Shadow King

with novelist Maaza Mengiste 

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In Maaza Mengiste’s new novel, The Shadow King, a chorus that one might find in a Greek tragedy frequently interjects with commentary, command, and prophecy. This is not the only trace of the Greeks in the work; in the spirit of Homer, Mengiste has produced a war epic. Set in 1935 Ethiopia as Mussolini prepares to invade, Mengiste’s account of an orphaned woman who transforms into a warrior defies the conventions of the war narrative. There is no sense of triumph, but rather deep and unending horror. Violence is not glorified, but is described in damning and measured detail. Perhaps most importantly, women are not merely spoils of war or mourners, but fighters. 

Made up of staccato chapters with changing voices, styles, and forms, the work serves as a meditation on how we see and speak. While the story is grounded by the exploits of the protagonist, readers also hear from sadistic Italian colonels, near-deposed emperors, a cook, a sex worker, and an Italian soldier forced to photograph the executions of Ethopian men and women. Mengiste brings the forgotten figures of wartime to life with contained and rhythmic prose, working (as the title suggests) in the shadow of a historical event which devastated a nation.

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About the speaker:

Maaza Mengiste is the author of The Shadow King, shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, and a recipient of the American Academy of Arts & Letters Award in Literature, as well as a LA Times Books Prize finalist. It was named a Best Book of 2019 by New York Times, NPR, Time, Elle, and other publications. Beneath the Lion’s Gaze, her debut, was selected by the Guardian as one of the 10 best contemporary African books.

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