Paper short abstract:

'Alinacha’s Dream' narrates Bori’s journey to Europe and back to Africa. By highlighting the process of co-creating a book, especially its moments of friction, this paper presents two counter narratives: (1) Bori’s personal narrative and (2) a call to advocate for counter epistemological practices.

Paper long abstract:

Alinacha’s Dream is the story a Tanzanian man growing up in the slums of Dar es Salaam and his dream of emigrating to Europe. Written in the first person, the book narrates Bori’s journey and his quest of fulfilling personal ambitions. It is also a narrative of return to Tanzania. Taking an (auto)biographical approach, the story allows for a personal narrative peppered with vivid details. By sharing his story, Bori hopes to educate African youth to make informed choices before enrolling on perilous journeys. The proposed paper, however, does not focus on the story itself, but on the process behind it, i.e. co-editing and co-creating a book; and, in particular, on its moments of friction. By pinpointing obstacles, the epistemic landscape is questioned. Established epistemological practices are challenged. A reflection on the process takes a critical look at the coloniality of knowledge production. Because revealing, friction is seen as productive, it takes place at different levels. First, on an interpersonal level, the different positionalities and underlying hierarchies of the co-creators play out during negotiations about the book. Second, friction arises in discussions about the value of counternarratives published in alternative formats as academic output. This leads to reflections on the ontology of knowledge creation (instead of production), its practices, and the role of scholars in a decolonial and engaged academy. As such, the paper deals with two counternarratives: the first is based on Bori’s personal narrative of migration, the second advocates for counter epistemological practices in academia.