Overview

'Where are you from?' 'No, where are you really from?' These questions, which he has been asked since boyhood, drive Ekow Eshun to travel through Ghana in search of his roots, and lead him on an exploration of history and belonging, from slavery in Africa and the West to the present day and what it means to be black. In search of answers, Ekow unearths yet more questions, some shocking contradictions and some long-forgotten truths about his family past...

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9780141010960

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Reviews

"""A life-affirming memoir about belonging, identity, and hope."" --""Ebony"" ""An impressive debut. . .An unusual memoir in which the personal and the political are entwined with great skill."" --""The Times"" (London) ""Leavened with insight, self-awareness, and flashes of humor . . .Eshun is a skilled wordsmith."" --""Christian Science Monitor"" ""Refreshing. . .Eshun's writing is fluid and self-assured. . .his wistfulness and wry sense of humor add to the book's charm. . .an engaging and eye-opening account of one man's journey toward self-discovery."" --""Black Issues Book Review"" "" A life-affirming memoir about belonging, identity, and hope."" -- ""Ebony"" "" An impressive debut. . .An unusual memoir in which the personal and the political are entwined with great skill."" -- ""The Times"" (London) "" Leavened with insight, self-awareness, and flashes of humor . . .Eshun is a skilled wordsmith."" -- ""Christian Science Monitor"" "" Refreshing. . .Eshun' s writing is fluid and self-assured. . .his wistfulness and wry sense of humor add to the book' s charm. . .an engaging and eye-opening account of one man' s journey toward self-discovery."" -- ""Black Issues Book Review"" "" Rich . . . Clear-eyed . . . Courageous . . . Achingly poignant, a story of semi-detachment, of fragmentation and duality, which must have been cathartic to write."" - Margaret Busby, ""New Statesman"" "" An impressive debut . . . An unusual memoir in which the personal and the political are entwined with great skill."" - Mark Sanderson, ""The Times "" "" An honest and moving journey . . . Ambitious in scope, impressive in execution, and wide in appeal, this is a beautifully written, intellectually vigorous study of belonging."" - Diana Evans, ""The Independent"" ""From the Hardcover edition."" ""Rich . . . Clear-eyed . . . Courageous . . . Achingly poignant, a story of semi-detachment, of fragmentation and duality, which must have been cathartic to write."" -Margaret Busby, ""New Statesman"" ""An impressive debut . . . An unusual memoir in which the personal and the political are entwined with great skill."" -Mark Sanderson, ""The Times "" ""An honest and moving journey . . . Ambitious in scope, impressive in execution, and wide in appeal, this is a beautifully written, intellectually vigorous study of belonging."" -Diana Evans, ""The Independent"" ""From the Hardcover edition."""

A life-affirming memoir about belonging, identity, and hope. -- Ebony An impressive debut. . .An unusual memoir in which the personal and the political are entwined with great skill. -- The Times (London) Leavened with insight, self-awareness, and flashes of humor . . .Eshun is a skilled wordsmith. -- Christian Science Monitor Refreshing. . .Eshun's writing is fluid and self-assured. . .his wistfulness and wry sense of humor add to the book's charm. . .an engaging and eye-opening account of one man's journey toward self-discovery. -- Black Issues Book Review

Author Information

Ekow Eshun is a British-Ghanaian writer, editor, curator, broadcaster, and author of the memoir Black Gold of the Sun, which was nominated for the Orwell Prize for its exploration of race and identity. He writes for publications including the New York Times, Financial Times and Guardian, and has created documentaries for BBC4 and BBC Radio 4. Eshun was the first Black editor of a major magazine in the UK and the first Black director of a major arts organisation. He has curated exhibitions internationally, including 2023's critically acclaimed, landmark project In the Black Fantastic at the Hayward Gallery and the British Film Institute, and The Time is Always Now, a major study of contemporary Black portraiture, at London's National Portrait Gallery (2024). He is currently Chairman of the Fourth Plinth committee, overseeing London's most significant public art programme, and Creative Director of the Calvert 22 Foundation.

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