Dead and Alive

In 'Dead and Alive: Essays', Zadie Smith brings her distinctive voice and critical insight to a wide range of subjects that have captured her attention in recent years.

The collection is organized into thematic sections—eyeballing, considering, reconsidering, mourning, and confessing—and features intimate reflections on artists like Toyin Ojih Odutola, Kara Walker, and Celia Paul, as well as cultural phenomena such as the film 'Tár' and the rise of Stormzy at Glastonbury.

Smith also mourns the passing of literary giants like Joan Didion, Martin Amis, Hilary Mantel, Philip Roth, and Toni Morrison, and considers political shifts on both sides of the Atlantic.

Throughout, she demonstrates her unparalleled ability to engage critically and humanely with the most pressing issues of our time, blending personal experience with broader social commentary.