Nikesh Shukla

This is a compellingly readable set of perspectives whose range and variety is dazzling, from the beautifully written ‘Namaste’ by Nikesh Shukla, the fantastic evocation of the miserable 1970s (Daniel York Loh), the deeply telling account by Riz Ahmed of the ‘long ride’ he was forced to undertake as an actor to get to the ‘Promised Land, where you play a character whose story is not intrinsically linked to his race’. I could go on and it does feel unfair to single out examples because every single one of these essays is worth your time.… (més)

This is a collection of writings by immigrants and other people of color living in Britain (often grouped as BAME -- Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic). I bought it because when I picked it up and leafed through it, it opened to an essay by Nish Kumar, a comedian whose work I enjoy, and his comedic voice really came through. The pieces vary in style: poetic, journalistic, academic, and personal. Some are challenging to follow -- there were sentences I had to read multiple times because they were based in theory unfamiliar to me -- and more of it is emotionally tough. It's also just eye opening -- there are aspects of the immigrant and minority experiences in Britain that I was entirely unaware of. Several of the essays were so good that I went seeking out other books by the writers -- I've marked some of those as "want to read" here.

Highly recommended.… (més)