Monday 11 May 2009

An Elegy For Easterly -Petina Gappah



I would like to recommend this debut collection by Zimbabwean writer Petina Gappah to anyone who loves short stories and anyone who has yet to discover their power.
My review of An Elegy for Easterly appears in the current issue of Pulp.net HERE
When this book wins something major, remember you read about it here. (and in most broadsheets!)

3 comments:

Group 8 said...

It's a fabulous book, though the opening story is a bit misleading as to the content, I feel - too political when the book is very humane, really.
I met Petina at the CĂșirt festival - a strong, energetic, engaged and interesting woman. She'll go far, you're right, Vanessa.

Vanessa Gebbie said...

Hi N

perhaps, although I guess you cant disentangle the politics from the humanity? Or maybe the humanity has a lot to do with the background againt which it besports itself? fascinating, whichever way you look at it.

I have never met the writer, although we did cross swords several times on the One World collaboration! A force to be seriously reckoned with, I guess!

Group 8 said...

It's just that the 1st story is so overtly political and, to me, doesn't fit with the more emotional concerns of the other stories, which are also political in their way, but less about politics, iykwim. It almost put me off...