Černý motýl (Black Butterfly)

Memesa is a little Romani girl who keenly observes the world around her in her native Finland and finds she dislikes many things. In her community, women serve men, have no rights, and accept frequent beatings as a normal part of life. She is still a child, but she is growing up fast and will have to decide whether to don the traditional heavy velvet skirt resembling a black butterfly and accept her role, thereby closing the door to education, freedom, and personal happiness—or leave everything she has known behind.

This is the first part of an autobiographical trilogy by the world-renowned artist Kiba Lumberg, whose radical views on both her native Romani community and the art establishment are a source of much controversy.

This book has been published thanks to the kind financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, FILI - Finnish Literature Exchange, and Bader Philanthropies, Inc.