Getting Somalia Wrong
Next week I’m planning to attend this event at the Royal African Society, where BBC journalist Mary Harper will be launching her new book ‘Getting Somalia Wrong’. Mary has a long history of association with Somalia, she’s travelled there many times. One of her best stories came about when she was trying to get through to Somali pirates on her mobile phone; she gave up because they didn’t answer, and then gave the phone to her daughter. When it rang her daughter answered and said ‘mummy it’s the pirates on the phone’; a story immortalised on the BBC’s From Our Own Correspondent.
I’m looking forward to reading the book as I’m sure Mary’s viewpoint will be different to some of the other experts who’ve written about it over the years. She’s spent a lot of time talking to Somalis and really trying to understand what’s going on there. Great that Zed Books exists so that these less well-known topics can be written about.