Drama. African Studies. Women's Studies. Opera. This libretto is a rewrite of Aphra Behn's 17th century text Oroonoko, or the Royal Slave. At its center is Imoinda, the hitherto silenced black woman slave in Behn's novel. The child she bears comes to represent the triumphant survival of African-heritage people forcibly transplanted into the diaspora. This opera has been performed in both London and New York and is taught at universities in the United Kingdom, United States, and Italy.
Joan Anim-Addo was born in Grenada. She is currently Head of the Caribbean Centre and lecturers within the English Department, Goldsmiths, University of London and Chair of the Caribbean Women Writers Alliance (CWWA) and founder-editor of MANGO SEASON, the journal on Caribbean Women's writing. Joan's published writing includes poetry, fiction, drama and history as well as critical writing. Her libretto, IMOINDA, is available in a bilingual edition, English and Italian.