East Side Voices: Essays celebrating East and Southeast Asian identity in Britain

by Helena Lee

' A dazzling and joyous celebration' i-D'Dazzling . . . East Side Voices is a thoughtful, painful reminder of the grand narratives that get buried under belittling stereotypes' Bidisha, ObserverIn this bold, first-of-its kind collection, East Side Voices invites us to explore a dazzling spectrum of experience from the East and Southeast Asian diaspora living in Britain today.Showcasing original essays and poetry from well-known celebrities, prize-winning literary stars and exciting new writers, East Side Voices takes us many from the frontlines of the NHS in the midst of the Covid pandemic, to the set of a Harry Potter film, from a bustling London restaurant to a spirit festival in Myanmar. In the process we navigate the legacies of family history, racial identity, assimilation and difference.Edited by Helena Lee, founder of the East Side Voices cultural salon and Acting Deputy Editor of Harper's Bazaar . Featuring writing Romalyn Ante, Tash Aw, June Bellebono, Gemma Chan, Mary Jean Chan, Catherine Cho, Tuyen Do, Will Harris, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, Claire Kohda, Katie Leung, Amy Poon, Naomi Shimada, Anna Sulan Masing, Sharlene Teo, Zing Tsjeng and Andrew Wong.'Invaluable and delightful' Esquire

224 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[loads.of.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘I see now that immigration is an act of creativity…’

[Sophie Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A huge range of voices that illustrates well the complexity and diversity of the ESEA diasporic experience in Britain. I felt seen and also learned a lot.

[Mette · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt successful at capturing a diversity of experiences but it felt dated by the focus on Covid. Perhaps an update is due?

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

amazing writings from a variety of people of different kinds of asian-ness and experiences