Portrait of an Island on Fire
- Joelle Whiting
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Portrait of an Island on Fire by Ariel Saramandi was released in the UK on the 19th of June 2025. I could not wait for the October Australian release date and purchased the eBook in June. Portrait of an Island on Fire is banned in Mauritius and it somehow made me want to read it more. I am excited to announce that Portrait of an Island on Fire is now available here.
The first article of Saramandi that I read was in Electric Literature (21 January 2022). I had just started Mo Zistwar and was limited in my own access and knowledge of Mauritian literature and of Mauritian women writers. The books that were gifted to me or the ones on my bookshelf were mainly coffee table books with beautiful pictures, books about Mauritian history or children picture books. These did not tell me anything I did not already know. They were interesting and pretty. I wanted to read and hear louder voices and find my connection. I regularly come back to this article when I am stuck on what to read next!
The anticipation of what may lie in the pages of Portrait of an Island on Fire was very intriguing. Saramandi is unapologetic, courageous and brings so much grit to this collection of essays.
If this book is ever sold in shops back home, it’ll ripen existing furore.
Book cover and contents of Portrait of an Island on Fire
Portrait of an Island on Fire is a collection of essays and truth-telling. Truth-telling in an Australian context deals with colonial conflict, massacres, racism and dispossession. It also celebrates and promotes the strength, contribution, resilience and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures (Reconciliation Australia, 2025). I borrow this meaning of truth-telling as I reflect on Portrait of an Island on Fire.
In Portrait of an Island on Fire, Saramandi shares her most personal experiences, thoughts and research that at time is uncomfortable, taboo and difficult to read. The reader gets a glimpse of what to come with reviews from other authors, including Natasha Soobramanien and Ananda Devi, in the first two pages of the book:
We’re suspended in a place of belonging and unbelonging.
I love this sentence: "We're suspended in a place of belonging and unbelonging" (p.48). This statement resonates with me. Mauritius is so complex and I have often felt this way when I was living in Mauritius. As Mauritians, we are so many things, all at once, all of the time... We are multi... Is that what it is to be a Mauritian? Multiracial, multicultural, multilingual...
The chapter 'All my languages' resonated with me. This essay can also be found, among other titles, on Saramandi's website: https://arielsaramandi.com. In 'All my languages', Saramandi expresses some of these complexities we face as Mauritians. Saramandi unpacks her own upbringing in a mixed and multilingual family who supported her love of reading and books, the languages she chooses to speak in different contexts and the "intricate ways in which language is linked to ethnicity in Mauritius".
As Mauritians, we have the ability to code switch and adapt to the world around us. This is our superpower, our strength. Our brain knows it! Being multilingual enhances our brain agility and ability to problem-solve. Mauritians we know can tracer - be resourceful and resilient.
Even now, meeting a Mauritian in Australia for the first time, there's so many things that I have to weigh before I even start a conversation. I have a split second to decide which language to use- Mauritian Creole, French or English? If I choose French, do I use the formal vous or informal tu? Who do I choose to speak Mauritian Creole to? What is the basis of this choice if I meet someone for the first time? I found that I felt more comfortable and less anxious using English to start and easier to switch later if needed. We are so many things, all at once, all of the time...
Having lived in Australia for 25 years, writing and thinking in English is now my preferred language. Though I still prefer to read in French, my blog and other writings are always in English. Interesting to note that when I count, I count in French first then translate to English. This is the fastest way my brain knows how to process numbers! I am so many things, all at once, all of the time...
I think and dream in French. Over the past few years in Mauritius, it has become rare for me to talk in English for more than a few sentences at a time.
In Portrait of an Island on Fire, Saramandi challenges the reader to think of Mauritius more deeply. Saramandi takes us beyond the headlines and the picture-perfect luminous sea. What we see, what we want others to see and what is beneath is complex and challenging. We are so many things, all at once, all of the time...
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