Silences and Resonances. On Sharon Dodua Otoo and "Wokism" in Germany

Abstract

This paper aims to reflect on the specific German debate about “woke” drawing on – fictional and non-fictional – writings by Sharon Dodua Otoo. Born in London to Ghanaian parents, Otoo writes both in English and German. The many interesting insights from her texts to understand the meaning of the exhortation to “stay wake” will be highlighted. In particular, I will focus on Otoo’s way of working on language in literature to constructively, creatively and non-moralistically stimulate a debate on discrimination.