A memoir of traditional and postcolonial life in North Africa

Separated from his family in the aftermath of the failed decolonization process in Western Sahara, Bahia Mahmud Awah was sustained by recollections of his mother. In this memoir, he describes her sacrifices, her optimism, and her deep love. His family's experiences exemplify the larger story of loss and displacement in the region even as his story shows how shared memories can nourish community and culture across generations, even in exile. Incorporating poetry in Hassaniya, the traditional Saharawi language, the work highlights the role of language in shaping identity and resisting colonialism.

First published in 2011 as La maestra que me enseñó en una tabla de madera (The Woman Who Taught Me on a Wooden Slate), this edition includes the first complete English translation and a new epilogue by the author featuring further remembrances of his mother and examples of her poetry.

Bahia Mahmud Awah's profile page

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Bahia Mahmud Awah is a Hispano-Saharawi writer, poet, and humanist. He holds an MA in anthropology from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, where he is currently completing a PhD. He is a member of several international organizations, including Antropología en Acción and Centro de Estudios Afrohispánicos. He has published numerous articles in both academic and cultural venues in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.