The accolades continue to pour in for Esi Edugyan’s novel Washington Black.
After winning her second Giller Prize earlier in November, the Colwood-based author’s work now numbers among the New York Times 10 Best Books of 2018.
Published by Patrick Crean Editions, Washington Black follows the journey of an 11-year-old boy who escapes slavery at a Barbados sugar plantation.
“I ended up telling the story of a man looking for his own sense of freedom and reconstructing his identity after a childhood of pain,” Edugyan explained in an interview last weekend.
The NY Times said of the book “Most daringly, it is a world in which a white slave master’s brother and a young black slave can forge an indelible bond. With subtlety and eloquence, Edugyan unfolds a wondrous tale of exploration and discovery.”
The University of Victoria graduate feels it’s vital for authors to share the stories of marginalized people at a time when many forms of truth-telling are “under siege.”
“You just have to be true to what you’re writing and just run with it,” Edugyan explained
NY Times 10 Best Books of 2018
Ben O'Hara
