Roma literature

[triestine.livejournal.com]

Greetings,

I have already gone on about this in my LJ and other networks so apologies to those I know from other places who will be seeing similar posts twice.

Today is the International Day of the Roma.

Now, my SEE country hasn't got a fantastic record in its treatment of our Roma compatriots, so when I try to keep up I do so through immediate means: newspapers, journals, debates, or other involvement. To my shame I have not, before I came across this community, thought of looking for fiction as another way of learning about the culture(s). Amazon is offering me "The Roads of the Roma: A PEN Anthology of Gypsy Writers" (no reviews) and Ian Hancock's - himself Romani - "We are the Romani People", and I am getting those, but I much prefer hearing recommendations from people in focused forums than from bookstores. Has anyone read something by a Romani author?

Thank you!

Comments

[sanguinity]

No personal recs here, either, but I knew there was some stuff in the del.icio.us account.

Books from Nowhere (UK bookstore) has a selection of titles about the Travellers. Roma/Traveller authors on that page: Ian Hancock, Betsy Whyte, Sheila Stewart (Highland Traveller). Dominic Reeve was not born a Traveller but has lived most of his life as one. (That last normally wouldn't qualify for 50books_poc, but may qualify for what you're looking for.)

Also, Celebration of Women Writers has a very short list of Romani Writers.

[triestine.livejournal.com]

I see what you mean about books not qualifying; there are often confusions and overlapping between the people as defined by ethnicity, and as defined by lifestyle. I have never met Caucasian Travellers, but Reeve's book sounds interesting.

About the list of women writers being short, I think I should look up their names and then dig further; I know that there are many women artists, having attended exhibitions and been involved in some, so I'm certain writers aren't lacking. Thank you for the pointers!