Nick Taussig

SYNOPSIS:
In an African country, while a civil war rages, Kibwe and Zuberi meet. Both are twelve years old, both are orphans; Kibwe's parents killed in the name of war and Zuberi's in the name of trade. Kibwe is a boy and Zuberi a gorilla, a young silverback. They are on the run: Kibwe, from the horrors he has committed as a child soldier, and Zuberi, from the violent hand of man. The former is desperate to reclaim his humanity; the latter, determined to have a family once more. Can they help one another get back what each has lost?



PUBLISHER'S COMMENTS:
In this, his third novel, Nick Taussig constructs two parallel yet contrasting storylines – one with a young boy soldier as narrator and the other a gorilla, a young silverback – in order to explore the best and worst of human nature in the light of our ape inheritance.

These two strands gradually come together to produce a gripping, moving and provocative book. His most ambitious novel to date, this work has a timeless and apocalyptic feel.

CHARITIES:
Revolver Entertainment, in the summer of 2008, published Nick Taussig's third novel, Gorilla Guerrilla, part of the profits of which are going to Outside the Dream Foundation and The Gorilla Organization (formerly The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund).

Outside the Dream offers education and hope to those whose dreams are collapsing under the burden of extreme poverty and war. Former child soldiers, orphans, the homeless and the vulnerable are given the opportunity to attend school. First, the foundation provides tuition fees and other necessary educational expenses. Second, it offers micro-financing for small business start-ups to those students wishing to fund their own education while supporting their dependents. And third, it partners with individuals and villages to assist in creating schools where there are none.

'In my view, Outside the Dream is so important because it takes a long-term view: it is not purely crisis-reactive and short-termist, as so much aid work is, but is progressive and forward-looking. Africa, as long as it is plagued by resource inequities, food insecurity, environmental scarcity and internal migration, will always be subject to war and famine, will always struggle to be self-governing, will always be reliant upon western aid. And yet it is perhaps bad governance, both domestic and foreign, more than any of the above that best explains the current state of the continent, many incumbent governments persistent in their failure to provide basic state services, principally health and education, and reasonable economic conditions. One wonders what might happen when the Foundation's children are let loose on the African people. They might start to put right some of the wrongs'
Nick Taussig

The Gorilla Organisation, formerly The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, is dedicated to saving and protecting endangered gorillas, its work integrating traditional conservation and research with economic development and education.

LINKS:
Donate to Outside the Dream
Visit The Gorilla Organisation
Visit the official Gorilla Guerrilla website
Read reviews of Gorilla Guerrilla
Read extracts from Gorilla Guerrilla

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Bookmarks: books, gorilla guerrilla