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Letters to a Writer of Colour

By: Deepa Anappara - editor, Taymour Soomro - editor
Narrated by: Deepa Anappara, Taymour Soomro, full cast
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Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Filled with empathy and wisdom, personal experiences and creative inspiration, this is a vital collection of essays on the power of literature and the craft of writing from an international array of writers of colour.

What if we reconsidered our assumptions about how fiction should be written? And can we then apply our discoveries to both what we read and how we read? This book explores these questions and encourages us into a more inclusive conversation about storytelling, featuring:

Taymour Soomro on resisting rigid stories about who you are

Madeleine Thien on how writing builds the room in which it can exist

Amitava Kumar on why authenticity isn't a license we carry in our wallets

Tahmima Anam on giving herself permission to be funny

Ingrid Rojas Contreras on the bodily challenge of writing about trauma

Zeyn Joukhadar on queering English and the power of refusing to translate ourselves

Kiese Laymon on hearing that no one wants to read the story that you want to write

Deepa Anappara on writing even through conditions that impede the creation of art

Plus essays from Tiphanie Yanique, Xiaolu Guo, Jamil Jan Kochai, Vida Cruz-Borja, Femi Kayode, Nadifa Mohamed in conversation with Leila Aboulela, Myriam Gurba, Mohammed Hanif and Sharlene Teo.

Read by Deepa Anaparra, Taymour Soomro, Madeleine Thien, Amitava Kumar, Tahmima Anam, Tiphanie Yanique, Marisol Ramirez, Cindy Kay, Zeyn Joukhadar, Jamil Jan Kochai, Nic Villasenor, Cary Hite, Simone McIntyre, Susan Nezami, Carolina Hoyos, Aaron Goodson, Mohammed Hanif and Mirai.

©2023 Deepa Anappara and Taymour Soomro (P)2023 Penguin Audio
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Critic reviews

"Electric essays that speak to the experience of writing from the periphery...a guide, a comfort, and a call all at once." (Laila Lalami, author of Conditional Citizens)

"The problem of the color line, as WEB Du Bois called it, has existed in literature and literary criticism as much as social and geopolitical realms, and systematic neglect by publishers, critics and readers has only exacerbated it. Excavating long-buried experiences of rejection, incomprehension and misunderstanding, Letters to a Writer of Colour defines the problem with precision and passion, and also outlines ways to transcend it." (Pankaj Mishra)

"I knew I would love this book as soon as I laid eyes on the title and the list of contributors, and it didn't disappoint - far from it. These essays provide so much wisdom and warmth, giving us a sense of restoration, of community. They take a refreshingly holistic view of the craft and balance real technical insight with deeply gentle humanity." (Okechukwu Nzelu, author of Here Again Now)

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