Does the written word really have the power to change things? How do you make a good argument in writing? Does the form of the essay lend itself particularly well to politics? Join us as we talk to the writer Otegha Uwagba about her brilliant essay Whites, a clear sighted, powerful comment on race in our society which examines her feelings in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, and the failures of white allyship. Picking up from our discussion of the form of the essay with Brian Dillon in 2017, we’ll be exploring the strengths and limitations of the form and talking about our favourite political essayists, from George Orwell to James Baldwin to Rebecca Solnit, plus all the usual recommendations.

Our recommended political essays:Octavia: Daddy Issues by Katherine Angel https://peninsulapress.co.uk/product/daddy-issuesCarrie: On Witness and Repair by Jesmyn Ward https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/jesmyn-ward-on-husbands-death-and-grief-during-covid

General Recommendations:Octavia: A Very Easy Death by Simone de Beauvoir https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/10378/a-very-easy-death-by-simone-de-beauvoir/Otegha: America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/549486/america-is-not-the-heart-by-elaine-castillo/Carrie: Intimations by Zadie Smith https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/321/321775/intimations/9780241492383.html

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