Threshold voices. Female counter-narratives in Sara Shilo’s The Falafel King is Dead

Authors

  • Silvia Guetta University of Florence
  • Greta Martini University of Florence

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.2420-8175/23737

Keywords:

intercultural education, narrative pedagogy, narrative learning, gender studies, transformative learning

Abstract

The article explores how female threshold voices function as powerful formative devices for intercultural education. Through the polyphonic structure of Sara Shilo’s The Falafel King is Dead, the study examines how memory, vulnerability, and embodied experience generate situated knowledge that challenges dominant national narratives. By integrating narrative learning with intercultural pedagogy and feminist theory, the analysis reflects on the emotional-cognitive processes activated by reading and the role of literature in promoting epistemic justice. The essay highlights how linguistic plurality and the shift from maternal silence to daughterly agency enable a formative reorganization of experience. The research offers methodological insights for fostering agency and democratic citizenship, demonstrating the transformative potential of female counter-narratives within lifelong and lifewide learning contexts.

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Published

2026-05-28

How to Cite

Guetta, S., & Martini, G. (2026). Threshold voices. Female counter-narratives in Sara Shilo’s The Falafel King is Dead . Educazione Interculturale, 24(1), 111–124. https://doi.org/10.60923/issn.2420-8175/23737