Ken Merten

He is not a tourist, but a young, curious writer who visits Cuba and observes the moods and conditions there. He spent six months travelling the "island of the sun" - from Nueva Gerona via Havana to Santiago de Cuba. He comes across underground defence tunnels, experiences the hyperinflation in which university employees who are in demand worldwide cannot afford a cafecito, and talks to cancer patients who are cut off from life-saving medicine because of the US embargo. He experiences the Cubans' zest for life as well as their massive worries at a time when tourists are staying away due to the pandemic, natural disasters are hitting the country and the inflation rate is rising. He reports on his experiences in factories, farms, museums and excursions into Cuba's lively art scene, talks to paediatrician Aleida Guevara, Che's daughter, and to people on the street who tell him: "Nobody surrenders here." He celebrates 1 May with Raúl Castro and 700,000 people in Havana. He portrays them and their country - which has been hit harder by the international crises than many others and yet is going its own way, full of plans and hope. Ken Merten has written an intelligent, story-rich diary that not only informs, but also inspires and explores the challenges facing the island nation and its chances of freeing itself from the hostage of the economic blockade.