Rromani Steampunk: Sources Of Information for writers
Greetings! Today has happily brought yet another request for sources of information / research for writing authentic Rromani characters particularly in the sci fi / fantasy genre – this is great! I’m so happy that people are starting to get on board with this issue!
So I thought it would be a good idea to create a stripped down post that’s easy to point people at and quick to get info from on this topic. Here, then, are some quick tips for writing authentic Rromani characters in your fiction…
- Read Rromani Autobiography and Fiction.
We have a mantra “Nothing about us without us” and it’s a healthy one to keep in mind. The best way to learn about Rromani people is to read what our people have written about ourselves – not someone else’s interpretation of us, which (however well meant) is never going to be as authentic and accurate.
So, here’s a list of fabulous Rromani writers across many genres to get you started:
Maggie Smith-Bendell
Rajko Ðjurić
Jessica Reidy
Ian Hancock
Caren Gussof-Sumption
Glenda Bailley-Mershon
Rosie Mckinley
Mikey Walsh
Jess Smith
Violet Cannon
Nan Joyce and Anna Farmer
Diane Tong
Jasper Lee
Nina Dudarova
Olga Pankova
Bronislawa Wajs
Philomena Franz
Elena Lackova
Hedina Tahirović Sijerčić
Cecilia Woloch
Louise Daughty
Mariella Mehr
Luminiţa Mihai Cioabă
Oksana Marafioti
Paola Schopf
Margita Reiznerová
Sterna Weltz-Zigler
Diana NormaSzokolyai
Nadia Hava-Robbins
Tera Fabianova
Katarina Taikon Langhammer
Irena Eliášová
Writers who’ve done an especially cringey / bad / offensive job of writing Rromani characters include…
Phillip Pulman
Tim Powers
Emily Bronte
Stephen King
Robert Jordan
Jane Austin
It’s worth reading them to learn what not to do! lol.
2. Ask why you want your character to be Rromani – if it’s just for exotic flavour or as a plot device then forget it, sorry but no one wants to be a tool! If the character is an authentic character in their own right with a personality, back story, potential for growth, development and future who just happens to Rromani, that’s the sort of representation we’re looking for 🙂
3. Avoid ‘research’ or ‘biography’ written by non-Rroma. Even if they have traveled or lived with Rromani people. Ask ‘why would someone want to study another group of people and why would they particularly choose Rromani people?’ Often the reason is that they find Rromani people exotic and so have paid a clan to let them ‘see the magic from the inside.’ You are an intelligent person, you can see the problems inherent in a mutually-exploitative situation like that! Other times a person who has adopted a new-age traveling lifestyle and spent time with Rromani travelling folk … the problem with authenticity here is that the writer may see the picture without the background – they tend to write about the current situation of the small, poverty stricken, desperate group of displaced Roma they encountered, without any understanding of how this situation came to be, how it affects the people they are writing about, how it compares to other groups of Roma around the world and, importantly, how compares to other groups of different cultures in the same conditions – because only then can we begin to separate socio-economic issues from cultural ones!
Some writers to avoid in this area include…
Isabel Fonseca
Dominic Reeve
Raymond Buckland
Charles Leland
So, there you go – hopefully those are all quick, useful points to take away 🙂 Got any questions or other topics you’d like me write about on this issue? Leave me a note in the comments or drop me an email 🙂
Big blessings, Penny
Don’t get on Penny’s naughty list!
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April 10, 2019 at 7:14 pm
Hahahahaha! I’m like a non-festive Crampus 😉 lol
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April 11, 2019 at 8:41 am