Denise Affonço
Denise Affonço | |
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Denise Affonço at a book fair in Paris, France, in March 2009. | |
Born | Phnom Penh, Cambodia |
Occupation | Author |
Language | French |
Nationality | Cambodian |
Ethnicity | French-Vietnamese |
Subject | Khmer Rouge |
Notable works | To The End Of Hell |
Denise Affonço (born in Phnom Penh, Cambodia) is an author who wrote about her sufferings under the Khmer Rouge in a powerful memoir To The End Of Hell (La Digues Des Veuves) with an introduction by Jon Swain. She was born to a Vietamese mother and French father and grew up in the peaceful years before all out war came to Indo-China. Her life was torn apart in April 1975 when the Khmer Rouge came to power.[1] There followed four hellish years during which her husband was taken away and never seen again and her daughter died of starvation.
Originally written in French, the work has recently been published into English by Reportage Press and as The Economist states: "That the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, as the tribunal is known, is at last functional makes the publication in English of Denise Affonço's harrowing memoir a timely reminder of why its work still matters."[2]
References
Interviews
- Interview on France 24
- 'Living Through the Terror' The Economist
- Interview on the BBC
- 'A mother never forgets by Jon Swain' The Sunday Times