Letters to a Writer of Color

An Anthology

By: Deepa Anappara - editor, Taymour Soomro - editor, Madeleine Thien - contributor, Tiphanie Yanique - contributor, Xiaolu Guo - contributor

Narrated by: Deepa Anappara, Taymour Soomro, full cast

A vital collection of essays on the power of literature and the craft of writing from an international array of writers of color, sharing the experiences, cultural traditions, and convictions that have shaped them and their work

“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

Filled with empathy and wisdom, instruction and inspiration, this book encourages us to reevaluate the codes and conventions that have shaped our assumptions about how fiction should be written, and also challenges us to apply its lessons to both what we read and how we read. 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
• Myriam Gurba on the empowering circle of Latina writers she works within
• Kiese Laymon on hearing that no one wants to read the story that you want to write
• Mohammed Hanif on the censorship he experienced at the hands of political authorities
• 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, and Sharlene Teo

The start of a more inclusive conversation about storytelling, Letters to a Writer of Color will be a touchstone for aspiring and working writers and for curious readers everywhere.

©2023 Deepa Anappara and Taymour Soomro (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“I found myself circling passages on every page, discussing the themes with anyone who would listen to me. . . . It is a book about how we see ourselves and how we can, through reading and storytelling, draw ourselves and each other in a new, more complete image.” —The Boston Globe

“If you’ve ever felt that your creative choices were being dismissed or ignored in a fiction workshop, if you’ve been pressured to make your writing more ‘accessible,’ if you’ve strained under the demand to write about certain things only and to silence others—this book is for you.” —Laila Lalami, author of Conditional Citizens

“. . . a beautiful and galvanizing anthology, featuring some of the most dazzling writers working today.” —Autostraddle