In 2014, Ali Smith realized that the novel could be pushed The genre affords its readers the pleasure of witnessing as the events of their lives become literature, history. These novels, writes Manshel, fictionalize the crises of recent history before they become fully historical. This type of writing positions itself in the space between literary fiction and contemporary journalism, with notable examples being Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones, set during Hurricane Katrina, or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americana, in which Obama’s presidency features. The recent historical novel has been on the rise for a while, as Alexander Manshel noted in an article on Post45. The speed at which she responds to these developments may be fairly unique, yet her interest in the aspect of novelty in literature is not. Standards at least, engaging directly with narratives surrounding social andĮconomic inequality, fake news, racism and immigration in post-referendum In her latest series of novels, the ScottishĪuthor has switched to delivering near live commentary, by book publishing Through fiction since the start of her writing career-from homelessness toĬonsumerism to cyber bullying. Yorker, Ali Smith has been addressing social problems

Through this political moment of breakage? Summer ask us: what holds people together who are living Responding to Britain’s divorce from the EU, but it also tells aįascinating tale about family and (budding) friendship. At heart, Autumn, Winter, Spring and Īli Smith’s seasonal quartet is often read as protest literature If you want to support Full Stop’s original literary criticism, please consider becoming a Patreon supporter.

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Daniel gluck ali smith