Simon Mol

"Africa... My Africa": Polish Reviews of Simon Mol's Poetry Collection

Africa... My Africa. (A bilingual poetry collection in English and Polish) by Simon Mol. VERBINUM (Wydawnictwo Księży Werbistów, Warsaw 2002)

By Alexander Nawrocki, Editor, Poezja Dzisiaj

I came across the poems of African poet Simon, written in English by chance and after reading a few lines of one of his pieces, I understood that I was dealing with an outstanding poet. Only an artist who is conscious of his own possibilities could write, "I am as old as the sun and as young as yesterday." Within this single sentence Simon has captured the many faces of the magical and heroic continent of Africa, a land with its own culture and a civilisation which reaches much farther into antiquity than that of Europe.

WHAT TO DO WITH THIS BRITISH EYE?...

Simon Mol

The train thundered on, bringing us closer to Berlin, from Warsaw. Each moment was magical. Each place we passed was replete with a power of its own. At certain points, place and moment merged to produce stupendous views— stirring unfathomable, overwhelming sensations. We passed a valley. The environment there radiated its virginity with such impact that, out of sheer respect for its sanctity, I shall not name the place. Kilometres away I was still asking how it would be like there at night: ‘What Beings thronged its sacred petals with owls, rodents and insects as spectators?’

The True Story of my Life

By Simon Mol

This is not fiction! But the true story of my life. It's not the worst though, but something at least worth reading about... Just read on, perhaps you will see why, or not. It doesn't matter either way... What matters is to move on....

January 6th 1995 is fresh in my mind; like yesterday. It will forever be. How can I forget this day in which my life nose dived through a 360 degree turn, with unfathomable circumstances stretching beyong time and space.

GROZNY: A VISION IN EXILE

By Simon & his Chechen friend- Adam

Conceived and written in Debak, today this blessed day of spring... 17th of April 2000, and dedicated to Grozny.

Who knows what it feels
to be away...
far away from home?
To leave behind
the cradle of his dreams?
Who knows better than I-
the grief of drinking tears?
I love Grozny...
my home-
my beloved home.
Now so far from Her,
I so miss Her...
like crazy;
Like the desert misses the rain.
Grozny...my beloved Grozny!
Now only a dream...
in the empty world of poignant nights.

The Midnight Dance At Noon

Underground eXperts United Presents... The Midnight Dance At Noon By Simon Moleke-Njie

"The Midnight Dance At Noon" by Simon Moleke-Njie (Simon Mol). Love is powerful, but so is religion and tradition. And when the respective interests of such super-powers collide, anything could happen - and it is not always for the best. This is a short story (with a parapsychological introduction) about strong but impossible love, and the quest for breaking free without losing one's identity, situated in contemporary Africa. Highly recommended.

The Spirit of Wigilia

Warsaw Voice, December 23-30, 2001 No. 51/52 (686/687)

By Simon Mol

IN my homeland of Cameroon, the countdown to Christmas is no different than in any other part of the Christian world, including Poland. Cleaning, decorating, and frantic last-minute shopping are done with such vigor which only the few days before Christmas can inspire. Shopping, however, is slightly different in Cameroon, as nothing is valued more than a piece of new clothing, elevating fashion to a major spectacle.

Warsaw Voice Journalist Awarded

Simon Mol (Simon Moleke Njie), a Cameroonian writer and journalist freelancing with the Voice, was granted the Antifascist of the Year 2003 award by the Nigdy Więcej (Never Again) social association, which monitors and combats trends such as neofascism, racism and xenophobia.

April 2003 - PGF Person of the Month

PGF [Polona Global Fund] honors Simon Moleke Nije (pen name Simon Mol) as its Person of the Month for April 2003. It is difficult to cite only one reason for honoring Mr. Mol. We believe the greatest accomplishment of his young career is the story of his survival and the beauty the world has received as a result. How can a person who has endured so much continue to evoke the wonder of human life and culture? Perhaps the the translator Edward Osiecki says it best: "Reading Simon's poetry is an adventure. Caged birds do not sing. It is awesome indeed to see such a bird singing, and Simon in this case sings in an extraordinary style that deserves recognition."

Europe’s ‘Gaza-strip’

By Simon Mol

This article was originally published in the Polish daily Metropol.

In geopolitical terms, you could say that the controversial ‘Gaza Strip’ that is supposed to divide Palestine from Israel, has its equivalent in Europe, precisely at the point called ‘EUREGION’. Palestine and Israel could learn many practical lessons from this area that unites Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands. In fact Poland, and the other new EU member States could also learn from the EUREGION, because, contrary to what some might think, the European identity isn’t at all homogenous. One could forge that the European identify is founded on ‘harmony in diversity’.

POSITIVE EXAMPLES OF IMPARTING INTERCULTURAL COMPENTENCY (The Polish Experience)

Herzogenrath (Germany), May 6-9, 2004

Whatever definition we may have, it virtually boils down to the fact that ‘Intercultural Competency’ is a social science dealing with the phenomenon of social and cultural harmonisation in society between nationals and non-nationals. This has an impact on the economic and consequently the political fibres of a nation, with Culture as a catalyst. Even if clothed in different allegories and words, Culture is what and how one eats, what one wears. It is the language one speaks and how one looks and sees. In a nutshell, it is how one functions both as an individual and member of a group both at home and abroad.