Brave New Words: The Power of Writing Now

(Paperback)

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Description

The works in Brave New Words: The Power of Writing Nowarticulates 'brave new words' at the heart of battles against limitations on fundamental rights of citizenship, the closure of national borders, fake news, and an increasing reluctance to engage with critical democratic debate.

Contributors include Bernardine Evaristo, Eva Hoffman, Romesh Gunesekera, Githa Hariharan, James Kelman, Tabish Khair, Kei Miller, Blake Morrison, Mukoma wa Ngugi ,Hsiao-Hung Pai, Olumide Popoola Shivanee Ramlochan, Bina Shah, Raja Shehadeh and Marina Warner.

Reviews

'As long as we have literature as a bulwark against intolerance, and as a force for change, then we have a chance... Literature is plurality in action; it embraces and celebrates a place of no truths; it relishes ambiguity, and it deeply respects the place where everybody has the right to be understood.' Caryl Phillips; 'Olumide Popoola's elegant and lyrical prose is instantly engaging. Her complex work captures the atmosphere and the tempo of the racial tension in King's Cross. She is fascinated with the spaces in between culture and form, and she is adept at moving between Nigeria, Germany and the UK.' Jackie Kay, Guardian; Its about identity, citizenship, belonging, and so much more. Read it!' Gwenda Bird, Bookstagrammer; 'Susheila's Brave New Words necessitates multiple readings because one time is not enough. I wasn't prepared for the magic of this book - I didn't know what I was diving into. The words wrap you in their magic and leave you in awe with their sheer candour and power. Words will save us. They will guide us. As Caryl Philips says in the introduction, 'Such a world would indeed be brave'. It gets five stars from me, without any doubt. This intense and powerful title will stay with me for a long time.' The Biblio Sara, Bookstagrammer 5/5 star review; 'Brave New Words explores the theme of exclusion at various levels it articulates not only the consequences of being expelled from countries and territorial affiliations, but from language itself. (It is) an introduction to some fine, contemporary intellectuals and writers, and to the study of universally shared experiences such as marginalisation, exile, belonging and loneliness in the 21st century. I, for one, am excited to start reading as the writers here suggest more widely, deeply and holistically this year.' Aneeqa M. Wattoo, Dawn paper; 'The impressive roster of contributors, including Bernardine Evaristo, James Kelman and Romesh Gunesekera, explore the role of brave new words in the battle against limitations in the fundamental rights of citizens, the closure of borders, fake news, and an increasing reluctance to engage with critical democratic debate. Bravo.' The Bookseller; 'Its purpose is to bring you to worlds beyond the collective imagination of a world made stale by the monotony of contemporary literature. Its a voyage into the world left purposefully unknown by the publishing industry. And its very, very interesting to read I am revitalised by the words of these authors.' Amy Baxter, Bad Form; 'One of the writers is Bernardine Evaristo who explores what feminism is today and how many black writers have been erased by white canon. It gave me a lot to think about and many new things to read! Educate yourself!' Bookish Trio, Bookstagrammer.

Author Bio

Susheila Nasta MBE is the former Editor-in-Chief of Wasafiri, the magazine of international contemporary writing she founded in 1984. A literary activist, writer and presenter, she is Professor of Contemporary and Modern Literature at Queen Mary, University of London and Professor Emeritus at the Open University. She has published widely on postcolonial and contemporary writing, especially on the Caribbean, the South Asian diaspora and black Britain. Her books include Home Truths: Fictions of the South Asian Diaspora in Britain (2002); Writing Across Worlds: Contemporary Writers Talk (2004); India in Britain (2012); and Asian Britain: A Photographic History (2013). She is co-editor of the first Cambridge History of Black and Asian British Writing (forthcoming 2019) and writing a biography entitled The Bloomsbury Indians. She has judged several literary prizes and curated and advised exhibitions including the outdoor touring exhibition, At the Heart of the Nation: Indians in Britain, and Windrush: Songs in a Strange Land for the British Library in 2018. She is literary executor for the estate of Sam Selvon. She received an MBE in 2011 for her services to black and Asian literature, and in 2019 was elected Honorary Fellow by the Royal Society of Literature. She also received the prestigious Benson Medal for exceptional contributions to the advancement of literature.