Granta | The Home of New Writing

Explore Essays and memoir

Introduction

Sigrid Rausing

‘I don’t think we have quite processed yet what those months of isolation did to us – a time of fear and daily death tolls and also of unprecedented curtailment of our freedom of movement. But there were consolations.’

Editor Sigrid Rausing introduces the issue.

The Hour of the Wolf

Fatima Bhutto

‘Though I have had dogs all my life, Coco is my first real companion.’

Fatima Bhutto on grief.

In the Heart of the Hall of Mirrors

Chris Dennis

‘If the heart has a great hall then it must also have a dungeon.’

Memoir by Chris Dennis.

Waiting Room

Will Rees

‘A patient must heave their entire body into their mouth.’

Will Rees in search of a diagnosis.

Our Stratford

The Herak Family & Damian Le Bas

‘The Roma understand that a home doesn’t need axles and wheels to be “Gypsy”, and we look for other signs.’

Damian Le Bas introduces photographs taken by the Herak family.

Beirut Fragments, 2021

Charif Majdalani

‘We live with the permanent sense of imminent disaster.’

Charif Majdalani on the situation in Beirut. Translated from the French by Ruth Diver.

She Used to Sing Opera

Imogen Crimp

‘I used to be ashamed of it, though I’m not sure what exactly felt shameful.’

On training to be an opera singer.

Notes on Craft

Sara Freeman

Sara Freeman, author of Tides, on writing while seeing the wood for the trees.

First Rites

Anna Della Subin

An excerpt from Anna Della Subin’s Accidental Gods.

Notes on Craft

Alex Hyde

‘The scrubbing of floors or rugs. People down on their knees, “tamping” the stain.’ Alex Hyde on the everyday gestures that make a life.

Best Book of 1930: The Man Without Qualities

Elaine L. Wang

Elaine L. Wang on the best book of 1930: The Man Without Qualities.

Best Book of 2012: The Round House

Larissa Pham

‘Nine years after publication, Erdrich’s text still feels timely, even urgent.’

Larissa Pham’s best book of 2012.

Best Book of 2019: A Month in Siena

Emmanuel Iduma

‘In art he finds the language with which to exchange mourning for some measure of equanimity.’

Emmanuel Iduma’s best book of 2019.