Stuck on which one of Colson Whitehead's books to read? We've got you covered with this quick overview of the two time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer's back catalogue.
Colson Whitehead’s writing style defies categorisation. Renowned for his ability to play with genre, his 11 books span a wide range of genres, from post-apocalyptic fiction to coming-of-age, mystery, memoir, literary fiction, crime, and magical realism.
As Whitehead told Teachers and Writers Magazine in 2003: ‘From book to book I want to do something different. If I know it’s going to be hard, that makes me want to do it.... Not knowing if you can do it makes the work better because you’re always second-guessing yourself, making sure you’re doing the best work you can – not coasting.’
This subversion of literary expectations is part of what makes the prospect of a new Whitehead novel so exciting – but with such a diversity of writing, it can be hard to know where to begin.
Ahead of his visit to Melbourne for World of Words next month, we’ve compiled a guide to the Colson Whitehead oeuvre to help you choose which story to embark on first – or next!