Literature

Why Do We Walk Away From Suffering?
Why Do We Walk Away From Suffering?
You can leave the theatre, but the suffering will still continue. Sarah Kane’s Blasted (1995) asks what turning away really costs us.   Read more...
Denial is a river in Egypt, “Your husband’s a homo”
Denial is a river in Egypt, “Your husband’s a homo”
Tony Kushner’s Angels in America is vast, feverish, and human — a play where politics, theology, desire, and illness collide. Returning to it again and again, I’m struck less by... Read more...
A Nation Emerging as Rhythm: Edward Kamau Brathwaite’s search for Caribbean poetry
A Nation Emerging as Rhythm: Edward Kamau Brathwaite’s search for Caribbean poetry
Brathwaite’s whole text is not really a prescription on how to write if you are Caribbean; it is a celebration of the different references and the rich culture that exists... Read more...
Am I a writer?
words by Chloe Milne   Every time I meet new people, I dread that inevitable first question: “So, what do you do?” (I wish it was replaced with “Can I get you another drink?”, but that only happens in my dreams). I always pause awkwardly, as if the subject of my job is some kind of dark secret. I often doubt that people I’ve just met even care what I do for a living when they ask. It’s just the polite thing to ask, isn’t it? A way for us to... Read more...
Decolonise Your Bookshelf: Long Live the Legacy of Machado de Assis
Decolonise Your Bookshelf: Long Live the Legacy of Machado de Assis
words by Cheryl S. Ezekiel A towering figure in Brazilian literature and an essential voice in rethinking the global literary canon, Machado de Assis stands by his imperative contribution to... Read more...