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We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Picador Classic

In this poignant and gripping memoir, the author provides an intimate and unflinching look at the Rwandan genocide. The narrative is a blend of personal anecdotes and broader historical context, offering readers a raw and unforgettable glimpse into the horror and chaos of that time. The book has been widely recognized for its raw emotional impact and has become a significant work in understanding the Rwandan genocide. more

Author

Philip Gourevitch
Philip Gourevitch

Philip Gourevitch, born on January 1, 1961, is an American author known for his in-depth investigative reporting and literary narrative. His work, particularly his coverage of conflicts in Africa, has garnered widespread acclaim. more

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“The piled-up dead of political violence are a generic staple of our information diet these days, and according to the generic report all massacres are created equal: the dead are innocent, the killers monstrous, the surrounding politics insane or nonexistent...The anonymous dead and their anonymous killers become their own context. The horror becomes absurd.”

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Author:Philip Gourevitch
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“In 1933-34, the Belgians conducted a census in order to issue ‘ethnic’ identity cards, which labelled every Rwandan as either Hutu (85%) of Tutsi (14%) or Twa (1%). The identity cards made it virtually impossible for Hutus to become Tutsis, and permitted the Belgians to perfect the administration of an apartheid system rooted in the myth of Tutsi superiority… Whatever Hutu and Tutsi identity may have stood for in the pre-colonial state no longer mattered; the Belgians had made ‘ethnicity’ the defining feature of Rwandan existence.”

MayMadeStatesOrderPerfectExistenceIssuesImpossibleIdentityMythCardsMade ItAdministrationFeaturesRootedSuperiorityDefiningApartheidEthnicityCensusBelgiansEthnic Identity
Author:Philip Gourevitch
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