Overview

Richly imagined, radical and revisionist - a portrait of Black masculinity, through the lives and voices of five remarkable Black men Ira Aldridge- trailblazing Shakespearean actor, playwright, abolitionist, acclaimed and feted across nineteenth century Europe. Matthew Henson- the first man ever to reach the North Pole, after eighteen years of successive attempts. Frantz Fanon- revolutionary psychologist and political philosopher, a forefather of modern post-colonial theory. Malcolm X- firebrand leader in the American civil rights movement, an icon in the fight for racial justice. Justin Fashanu- gifted sportsman and notorious showman, the first professional footballer in the world to come out publicly as gay. What do these five men, separated by centuries and continents, have in common? The Strangers tells their stories one by one- as pioneers who made history in their fields, and as sensitive, often solitary individuals moving through a hostile world. And it locates them within the vibrant, restless, richly detailed landscape of Black art, culture, history and politics over the past several centuries.

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9780241472026

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Reviews

Beautiful, powerful and haunting, this book defies erasure with imagination and integrity -- Afua Hirsch, author of 'Brit(ish)' My world would be less rich without the extraordinary presence of Ekow Eshun. This book will be referenced for years to come. The stranger is hidden in every word on every page of this work, and it is a relief to finally meet him face to face, at the book’s climax, in all his winged and magnificent luminosity -- Lemn Sissay, author of 'My Name is Why' Thrilling and ingenious, propulsive and genre-defying: The Strangers is an outstanding book. Ekow Eshun resurrects five pioneering figures, connecting them thematically to each other while constantly recalibrating the contexts around them, revealing wider global histories, cultures and patterns of power. Compelling and imaginatively expansive, this is something very special – creative non-fiction that inspires, stirs and challenges the reader -- Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of 'Girl, Woman, Other' The Strangers is a wholly unique and important project, written with great compassion and intelligence in Ekow Eshun’s singular, arresting style. He says things that need to be said, with a sweeping eye on history and its impact on our present -- Diana Evans, author of 'Ordinary People' This book is life-changing. I want to press it into so many hands -- Noreen Masud, author of 'A Flat Place' The architecture of this book is extraordinary, the execution exceptional. A work of literary portraiture which is meticulously researched, beautifully expressed and above all moving and evocative. I was educated and enriched to the very last page -- Charlotte Williams, author of 'Sugar and Slate' Elegant, evocative, moving – I think it’s brilliant. I’ve never read a book like it and I’m wiser for reading it -- Philippa Perry Unputdownable and fiercely tender - through these five men, five masks, five mirrors, we meet ourselves. This act of docu-poetry should be required reading for all -- Es Devlin, award-winning artist and stage designer

My world would be less rich without the extraordinary presence of Ekow Eshun. This book will be referenced for years to come. The stranger is hidden in every word on every page of this work, and it is a relief to finally meet him face to face, at the book’s climax, in all his winged and magnificent luminosity -- Lemn Sissay

Beautiful, powerful and haunting, this book defies erasure with imagination and integrity -- Afua Hirsch, author of 'Brit(ish)' My world would be less rich without the extraordinary presence of Ekow Eshun. This book will be referenced for years to come. The stranger is hidden in every word on every page of this work, and it is a relief to finally meet him face to face, at the book’s climax, in all his winged and magnificent luminosity -- Lemn Sissay, author of 'My Name is Why' Thrilling and ingenious, propulsive and genre-defying: The Strangers is an outstanding book. Ekow Eshun resurrects five pioneering figures, connecting them thematically to each other while constantly recalibrating the contexts around them, revealing wider global histories, cultures and patterns of power. Compelling and imaginatively expansive, this is something very special – creative non-fiction that inspires, stirs and challenges the reader -- Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of 'Girl, Woman, Other' The Strangers is a wholly unique and important project, written with great compassion and intelligence in Ekow Eshun’s singular, arresting style. He says things that need to be said, with a sweeping eye on history and its impact on our present -- Diana Evans, author of 'Ordinary People' This book is life-changing. I want to press it into so many hands -- Noreen Masud, author of 'A Flat Place' A beautifully written, haunting exploration of Black masculinity that pushes the boundaries of genre: part biography, part fiction, part essay, part historical record, woven together seamlessly to produce an original, rich and compelling narrative. It provides a vital insight into the importance of Black contributions to Western culture – contributions that have so often been denied. I can’t praise The Strangers highly enough: its impact remains long after the final pages and it deserves to be widely read -- Jacqueline Roy, author of 'The Fat Lady Sings' The architecture of this book is extraordinary, the execution exceptional. A work of literary portraiture which is meticulously researched, beautifully expressed and above all moving and evocative. I was educated and enriched to the very last page -- Charlotte Williams, author of 'Sugar and Slate' Elegant, evocative, moving – I think it’s brilliant. I’ve never read a book like it and I’m wiser for reading it -- Philippa Perry Unputdownable and fiercely tender - through these five men, five masks, five mirrors, we meet ourselves. This act of docu-poetry should be required reading for all -- Es Devlin, award-winning artist and stage designer

Author Information

Ekow Eshun is a writer, curator and broadcaster. He is author of the memoir Black Gold of the Sun, nominated for the Orwell Prize for its exploration of race and identity, and The Strangers, longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize. Hailed by the Guardian as 'a cultural polymath', he was the first Black editor of a major magazine in the UK and went on to become the first Black director of a leading British arts institution. He has created documentaries for BBC TV and radio and his writing appears in publications including the Guardian, The New York Times and Financial Times. Described by Vogue as 'the most inspired - and inspiring - curator in Britain', Ekow Eshun has curated critically acclaimed exhibitions internationally, working with venues including the Hayward Gallery and National Portrait Gallery in London, as well as museums and galleries in Asia, Africa and the United States. He is Chairman of the Fourth Plinth, overseeing Britain's foremost public art programme. He lives in London.

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