Black Girl from Pyongyang: Book talk by Monica Macias
On the evening of February 26th, the Centre for Korean Studies had the privilege of hosting author Monica Macias for a sold-out talk on her memoir, Black Girl From Pyongyang.
Monica’s extraordinary story began in 1979 when, at just seven years old, she was sent from Equatorial Guinea to North Korea by her father, Francisco Macias, the country’s first post-independence president. He had arranged for her to be educated under the guardianship of his ally, Kim Il Sung. However, just months after her arrival, her father was overthrown and executed. Despite this, Kim Il Sung honored his promise, overseeing her education at Mangyongdae Revolutionary School and Pyongyang University of Light Industry.
In her talk, Monica offered a fascinating glimpse into her childhood in North Korea and her journey of self-discovery after leaving at 24. Her search for identity took her across the world—from Spain and South Korea to the USA, China, Equatorial Guinea, and the UK, where she later earned a Master’s in International Relations at SOAS and is where she is now based.
One of the central challenges in writing Black Girl From Pyongyang was reconciling her personal memories with historical realities. The event concluded with a thought-provoking Q&A, where audience members explored themes of nationalism and Western perceptions of North Korea.