In December 1990 things began to change in Albania, so 1990 rather than 1989 was the year of shifts and revolution for Albania. In moral education we were told about how everybody else around us had betrayed the legacy of Stalin. I remember when I was hiding behind this statue at one point I lifted my head to see whether Stalin was really smiling with his eyes and I was completely shocked because he had been decapitated so the statue had lost its head.
For the third in our 12 Books of Christmas episodes, we revisit a thought-provoking discussion with Dipo Faloyin, whose book Africa Is Not A Country challenges the stereotypical thinking that can misrepresent African nations. Another highlight book of 2022 was Lea Ypi's Free, and the writer joined us to discuss her memoir that tells the story of her upbringing in Albania amid the shifting geopolitics of nations affected by the break up of the Soviet Union. We also listen back to our conversation with food writer Melissa Thompson, whose book Motherland celebrates the traditions and influence of Jamaican cuisine.
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