Octavia Butler: The Mother of Afrofuturism

LITTERATUR — boghallen
19. Mar 2025 Time: 16:30 - 17:15

Octavia Butlers forfatterskab oplever en fornyet interesse i Danmark i disse år. Hendes forfatterskab kredser om science fiction og spekulativ fiktion, navnlig afroamerikanske fremtidserfaringer i en dystopisk verden. Hun bliver kaldt for afrofuturismens moder, og hendes forfatterskab behandler temaer som race, klasse, klima og køn. Oplev hendes forfatterskab blive udfoldet når vores mægtige panel bestående af forfatter og oversætter Mikas Lang, forsker Qwin Werle, forsker Nina Cramer og forfatter og oversætter Andreas Eckhardt-Læssøe indtager Trappen.

Octavia Butler (1947-2006) var en hyldet afroamerikansk science fiction-forfatter. Hendes berømteste værker tæller de netop nyoversatte bøger Lignelsen om såningen (1993), Lignelsen om talenterne (1995) og Slægtskab (1979). Hun var og er en pioner indenfor afrofuturismen, og var særligt anerkendt for sin præcise prosa, stærke hovedpersoner og skarpe samfundsobservationer i fortællinger, der spænder fra en fjern fortid til en fjern fremtid.

DENNE SAMTALE VIL FOREGÅ PÅ ENGELSK - THIS TALK WILL BE IN ENGLISH

Andreas Eckhardt-Læssøe (han/ham) er forfatter og oversætter. Han har sammen med Jonas Eika oversat bøgerne Lignelsen om såningen og Lignelsen om talenterne.

Mikas Lang (han/ham) er forfatter og oversætter, har tidligere skrevet digtsamlingerne Melanin (2019), Og spøgelser (2021) og debutromanen Bamberg blues (2025). Lang har desuden oversat adskillige bøger af afrikanske diaspora-forfattere såsom Octavia Butler, Frank B. Wilderson og Jesmyn Ward.

Qwin Werle (de/dem) er Ph.D.-stipendiat ved Københavns Universitet og forsker i sorte surrealismer ved IKK.

Nina Cramer (hun/hende) er Ph.D.-stipendiat ved Københavns Universitet og forsker i afrikansk diaspora-kunst i Norden.

AND NOW, IN ENGLISH
Octavia Butlers literary works is experiencing a renewed interest in Denmark these years. Her work revolves around science fiction and speculative fiction, particularly Afro-American future experiences in a dystopian world. She is often called the mother of Afrofuturism, and her writing explores themes such as race, class, climate, and gender. Experience her literary universe unfold when our distinguished panel, consisting of author and translator Mikas Lang, researcher Qwin Werle, researcher Nina Cramer, and author and translator Andreas Eckhardt-Læssøe takes the stage at Trappen.

Octavia Butler (1947–2006) was a celebrated African American science fiction writer. Her most famous works include the newly translated books Parable of the Sower (1993), Parable of the Talents (1995), and Kindred (1979). She was—and remains—a pioneer of Afrofuturism and was especially recognized for her precise prose, strong protagonists, and sharp social observations in stories that span from a distant past to a distant future.

Andreas Eckhardt-Læssøe (he/him) is an author and translator. Together with Jonas Eika, he has translated Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents.

Mikas Lang (he/him) is an author and translator. He has previously published the poetry collections Melanin (2019), Og spøgelser (2021), and his debut novel Bamberg Blues (2025). Lang has also translated several books by African diaspora writers, including Octavia Butler, Frank B. Wilderson, and Jesmyn Ward.

Qwin Werle (they/them) is a PhD fellow at the University of Copenhagen, researching Black surrealism at IKK.

Nina Cramer (she/her) is a PhD fellow at the University of Copenhagen, specializing in African diaspora art in the Nordic region.