Portrait of an Island on Fire by Ariel Saramandi
| Portrait of an Island on Fire by Ariel Saramandi | |
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| Category: Politics and Society | |
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Reviewer: Heather Magee
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| Summary: Ariel Saramandi is intelligent and writes with clarity, purpose and initiative. An extremely informative and illuminating read. Ariel Saramandi popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 352 | Date: June 2025 |
| Publisher: Fitzcarraldo Editions | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1804271612 | |
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In this powerful collection of essays, Saramandi seeks to intradermally dissect the sociopolitical fabric of Mauritius, tunneling deep into the wounds left by colonialism and slavery to expose how these legacies still shape modern life. Saramandi describes the country at one stage as rotting, a blunt yet apt metaphor for the systemic decay brought about by the malignant forces of racism, patriarchy, environmental degradation and governmental dysfunction. Each essay in this collection serves as a kind of diagnostic, charting the various diseases afflicting the island state.
The essay An Education is a powerful and disturbing exploration of systemic racism in Mauritian schools. Saramandi reveals how colonial-era structures of racial hierarchy remain embedded in the education system, and she asks how we can break this inherited cycle of violence. It's a confrontation with the quotidien forms of racism that shape the experiences of young Mauritians, particularly those from marginalised communities.
In There Is Too Much Feminism, Saramandi addresses the rise of the alt-right and of online misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia. She draws a clear connection between these ideologies and the global radicalisation of young men, which she attributes in part to Trump's influence. Though these issues are global, Saramandi writes that these reactionary forces always end up hurting Mauritian women. The essay is also a critique of how feminism is misrepresented or weaponised in certain circles, particularly when social progress threatens entrenched power structures.
The island, often imagined as isolated or self-contained, is shown here to be anything but. Saramandi proves that the crises facing Mauritius are also shared by the wider world, and none are more urgent than climate change. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Mauritius are on the front lines of this global emergency, grappling with rising sea levels, increased erosion, and the loss of biodiversity. In Snapshots of an Island on the Front Line, she gives voice to the heartbreak of losing land, wildlife, and homes.
Saramandi also turns a sharp eye on the government's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Pandemic in 9 Acts, she chronicles the rise of misinformation, denial, and public distrust, while also chronicling the rise of the anti-vaccination movement. Opposition figure Bruneau Laurette capitalised on this movement, using it as anti-government rhetoric to bolster his political standing. But Saramandi also highlights a silver lining: the emergence of citizen mobilisation and grassroots protest. Her own role in this is anchored by her own steady, grinding conviction that everything that happens here must be reported. Given the complex national identity (the necessity to always qualify the Mauritian as Indo-, Sino-, Franco-, etc as Kumari Issur puts it) such unity offers a glimpse of collective strength. This solidarity was especially evident during the response to the MV Wakashio oil spill in 2020, mentioned in the essay Death takes the Lagoon , when the public came together despite governmental inaction.
The essay Ten Years in Power is the longest and most detailed in the collection. It charts Bruneau Laurette's political ascent and downfall, and traces the many political scandals that led to the victory of the Alliance du Changement. This essay also offers one of Saramandi's most compelling reflections on activism. For her, politics is a fundamentally radical space, and activism is defined as a desperate rummaging of actions that are possible in a crisis. A confrontation of these actions' limits. Of my own limits. An exploration of what one body can do, one body rallying other bodies. It is also a constant questioning of systems of control. Ananda Devi, another writer from Mauritius, has said I questioned from a very young age the communalism of Mauritian society and the divisive nature of ancestral identities, religions, languages, castes etc. in that society. Saramandi continues this interrogation, and in doing so draws out an anatomy of a nation in pain, but also a roadmap to healing.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending a review copy to The Bookbag. For more literature about Mauritius, read Eve Out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi.
Ariel Saramandi was kind enough to be interviewed by Bookbag.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Portrait of an Island on Fire by Ariel Saramandi at Amazon.com. (Paid link)
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