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Granta: The Magazine of New Writing #162
Granta 162: Definitive Narratives of Escape
Our winter issue is themed around losses emotional, physical and historical.
Our winter issue features Raymond Antrobus on performer Johnnie Ra y, Marina Benjamin on playing professional blackjack, Chanelle Benz on searching for a homeland, Annie Ernaux (tr. Alison L. Strayer) on what affairs can help us bear, Richard Eyre on his grandfathers, Des Fitzgerald on losing his brother, Caspar Henderson on the sounds in space, Amitava Kumar on India today, Emily Labarge on PTSD, Michael Moritz on antisemitism in Wales, Roger Reeves on visiting a former site of slavery, Xiao Yue Shan on Iceland. Granta 162 will include fiction by Carlos Fonseca (tr. Megan McDowel l), Maylis de Kerangal (tr. Jessica Moore ) and Catherine Lacey, as well as photography by Cian Oba-Smith , introduced by Gary Younge , and Aaron Schuman , introduced by Sigrid Rausing .
Our winter issue features Raymond Antrobus on performer Johnnie Ra y, Marina Benjamin on playing professional blackjack, Chanelle Benz on searching for a homeland, Annie Ernaux (tr. Alison L. Strayer) on what affairs can help us bear, Richard Eyre on his grandfathers, Des Fitzgerald on losing his brother, Caspar Henderson on the sounds in space, Amitava Kumar on India today, Emily Labarge on PTSD, Michael Moritz on antisemitism in Wales, Roger Reeves on visiting a former site of slavery, Xiao Yue Shan on Iceland. Granta 162 will include fiction by Carlos Fonseca (tr. Megan McDowel l), Maylis de Kerangal (tr. Jessica Moore ) and Catherine Lacey, as well as photography by Cian Oba-Smith , introduced by Gary Younge , and Aaron Schuman , introduced by Sigrid Rausing .
232 pages, Paperback
Published February 21, 2023
7 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Sigrid Rausing
45 books52 followersSigrid Rausing is Editor and Publisher of Granta magazine and Publisher of Granta and Portobello Books. She is the author of History, Memory and Identity in Post-Soviet Estonia: The End of a Collective Farm and Everything is Wonderful, which has been translated into four different languages.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 18, 2023
One of the most underwhelming issues of Granta I've ever read. Top heavy with navel gazing memoirs (the blurb writer resorts to classifying at least 2 of the memoir articles as "Essays" to try to display some sort of balance)
I guess it reflects today's inward-looking, solipsistic, narcissism attitudes.
One piece I did really like was Richard Eyre's memoir (yeah, I know, the irony, based on what I said above) about his extraordinary parents and grandparents.
Might be your cup of tea, in which case, Enjoy ;-)
I guess it reflects today's inward-looking, solipsistic, narcissism attitudes.
One piece I did really like was Richard Eyre's memoir (yeah, I know, the irony, based on what I said above) about his extraordinary parents and grandparents.
Might be your cup of tea, in which case, Enjoy ;-)
February 20, 2023
I bought this issue specifically for Amitava Kumar's essay "Many Words for Heat, Many Words for Hate," about the hell-making events that are underway in my native India. Reading on, I was pleasantly surprised by the forcefulness and poignancy that permeates each piece featured herein, all incisive explorations of the theme of "Definitive Narratives of Escape" — from grief and mourning (Des Fitzgerald, Annie Ernaux, Catherine Lacey, TaraShea Nesbit), from inherent and arbitrary markers of identity and the human condition (Michael Moritz, Raymond Antrobus), from Trauma (Emily LaBarge), from our historical discontents (Carlos Fonseca, Cian Oba-Smith, Chanelle Benz, Roger Reeves), and loss in all forms. For obvious reasons, this essay was heavy on memoiristic writing, but each of them so rich in emotion and insight that I couldn't help read them over and over again.
Some favourites:
- "Misfortune," a short story about a six-year old who accidentally shoots her father dead, by André Alexis
- "Ecstatic Joy and its Variants," a poem by Peter Gizzi:
And
- "Through the Smoke, Through the Veil, Through the Wind," a memoir of visiting the McLeod Plantation by Roger Reeves—the most poignant of them all, looking at the nature of remembrance, and reminding us that
Some favourites:
- "Misfortune," a short story about a six-year old who accidentally shoots her father dead, by André Alexis
- "Ecstatic Joy and its Variants," a poem by Peter Gizzi:
and in my outrage, I am immortal- "A Light Bird," a short story about holding on to the memory of the departed, written by Maylis de Kerangal and published here in a stunning English translation by Jessica Moore
because I love, I am here
And
- "Through the Smoke, Through the Veil, Through the Wind," a memoir of visiting the McLeod Plantation by Roger Reeves—the most poignant of them all, looking at the nature of remembrance, and reminding us that
There is no definitive narrative to escaping, to freedom. It is—only is.
July 23, 2025
hijole ahora si q wow eh slash I love humanity so much slash so much to think about
May 10, 2023
Not as good as the previous Granta, but brought to a beautiful close with Roger Reeves’ expansive essay. 3.5 stars if I could.
March 10, 2023
Granta 162 – definitive narratives of escape.
An enjoyable and intimate collection of memoirs and fiction about grief and our escape from it.
Des Fitzgerald. In his memoir about his brother’s apparent suicide he refers to the French scholar Robert Hertz “a person’s death should be thought of as a collectiveor social event, not simply an individual calamity.” He analyses his own torpor his anger and hatred at what his brother had done to him – put him into a state of mourning, which Freud describes as hard work. He then moves into life and death intermingling as he details the birth of his child causing the loss of the twin. And then the trials and tribulations of toddlers. As parents we can all relate to this.
For the love of losing by Marina Benjamin. I loved this memoir about Marina’s journey through the working world of casino gambling. That sense of dropping your life to discover a new one is , as she says, exhilarating. She brought us into the world – long hours, hard work and getting kicked out of casinos. A lot of losing and play acting. For her it was a profession, to watch individuals get sucked in felt sad and uncomfortable.
Hotel Casanova by Annie Ernaux (translated from Alison L. Strayer). This is a slow burner as she crosses path with a man who she gradually becomes enveloped by whilst experiencing the loss of her mother. Another way of how we cope with grief a la Freud.
Misfortune by Alexis. An odd tale of a six year daughter accidentally fatally shooting her father
The story examines how grief and sorrow affected her life up to her mother’s death. The body of the story focuses on her sister giving her a sealed letter from her mother and wanting to know the contents. The twist is how the mother, with a doctor, engineered the father’s death, so the daughter was, after all this time, not guilty of his death. There is much about remembering and how siblings can have contrasting memories and understanding of their parents, and the awkwardness if can cause. I related to this and the pain it gives off.
Many words for heat, many words for hate. Amitava Kumar’s memoir reads like a diary, telling an interesting tale about Delhi, in which he begins with an experiment with an audience about the meaning of heat in the city. His diary reports on the Modi government’s attempts on “to be Indian is to be Hindu.” Well it is way more complex than that – it can also be Muslim. And Hinduism can be broken down with South and Northern Indians.
Equally he worries about how legislation is used to detain activists and journalists not in step with the government. There is much troubled reportage about the behaviour of the government and the ineptitude of Boris Johnson in India.
As a hard of hearing person myself I read “The Public and Private Performance of the deaf body” with personal interest. Raymond Antrobus weaves his own personal story with that of Johnnie Ray. I was inspired by how Johnnie Ray managed to overcome his own hearing difficulties and become famous. Michael Moritz focuses more on the discrimination of homosexuality of the era.
The schedule of loss by Emily LaBarge. This memoir jumped out at me slapping me across my face in how she described an attack on her home. The title refers to the list of stolen items given to the insurance company.
An enjoyable and intimate collection of memoirs and fiction about grief and our escape from it.
Des Fitzgerald. In his memoir about his brother’s apparent suicide he refers to the French scholar Robert Hertz “a person’s death should be thought of as a collectiveor social event, not simply an individual calamity.” He analyses his own torpor his anger and hatred at what his brother had done to him – put him into a state of mourning, which Freud describes as hard work. He then moves into life and death intermingling as he details the birth of his child causing the loss of the twin. And then the trials and tribulations of toddlers. As parents we can all relate to this.
For the love of losing by Marina Benjamin. I loved this memoir about Marina’s journey through the working world of casino gambling. That sense of dropping your life to discover a new one is , as she says, exhilarating. She brought us into the world – long hours, hard work and getting kicked out of casinos. A lot of losing and play acting. For her it was a profession, to watch individuals get sucked in felt sad and uncomfortable.
Hotel Casanova by Annie Ernaux (translated from Alison L. Strayer). This is a slow burner as she crosses path with a man who she gradually becomes enveloped by whilst experiencing the loss of her mother. Another way of how we cope with grief a la Freud.
Misfortune by Alexis. An odd tale of a six year daughter accidentally fatally shooting her father
The story examines how grief and sorrow affected her life up to her mother’s death. The body of the story focuses on her sister giving her a sealed letter from her mother and wanting to know the contents. The twist is how the mother, with a doctor, engineered the father’s death, so the daughter was, after all this time, not guilty of his death. There is much about remembering and how siblings can have contrasting memories and understanding of their parents, and the awkwardness if can cause. I related to this and the pain it gives off.
Many words for heat, many words for hate. Amitava Kumar’s memoir reads like a diary, telling an interesting tale about Delhi, in which he begins with an experiment with an audience about the meaning of heat in the city. His diary reports on the Modi government’s attempts on “to be Indian is to be Hindu.” Well it is way more complex than that – it can also be Muslim. And Hinduism can be broken down with South and Northern Indians.
Equally he worries about how legislation is used to detain activists and journalists not in step with the government. There is much troubled reportage about the behaviour of the government and the ineptitude of Boris Johnson in India.
As a hard of hearing person myself I read “The Public and Private Performance of the deaf body” with personal interest. Raymond Antrobus weaves his own personal story with that of Johnnie Ray. I was inspired by how Johnnie Ray managed to overcome his own hearing difficulties and become famous. Michael Moritz focuses more on the discrimination of homosexuality of the era.
The schedule of loss by Emily LaBarge. This memoir jumped out at me slapping me across my face in how she described an attack on her home. The title refers to the list of stolen items given to the insurance company.
March 5, 2023
I think this might be my favourite issue if Granta so far (3rd in a row). The theme - definitive narratives of escape - is fascinating and gives rise to discussions of suicide, slavery, grief, gambling and more (the original theme of loss also fits very well with all of these).
Particular standouts:
* Marina Benjamin's fascinating memoir on the thrills and tragedy of professional gambling
* Annie Ernaux's evocative recounting of an act of rebellion masquerading as a sordid affair
* Andrei Alexis' fiction about how trauma shapes our identity, and how we resist questions about this
*Amitava Kumar on the rise of nationalism in modern India under Modi
* Catherine Lacey's fictional account of a shattered lover fending off an unofficial biography of their recently dead partner
* Xiao Your Shan's reflections on a residency in a remote Nordic village, barely interacting with its inhabitants as a result of distorted sleep cycles
* Maylis de Kerangal's fiction about a father and daughter who cannot bear to erase a dead mother's voice from the answering machine
Particular standouts:
* Marina Benjamin's fascinating memoir on the thrills and tragedy of professional gambling
* Annie Ernaux's evocative recounting of an act of rebellion masquerading as a sordid affair
* Andrei Alexis' fiction about how trauma shapes our identity, and how we resist questions about this
*Amitava Kumar on the rise of nationalism in modern India under Modi
* Catherine Lacey's fictional account of a shattered lover fending off an unofficial biography of their recently dead partner
* Xiao Your Shan's reflections on a residency in a remote Nordic village, barely interacting with its inhabitants as a result of distorted sleep cycles
* Maylis de Kerangal's fiction about a father and daughter who cannot bear to erase a dead mother's voice from the answering machine
Read
April 8, 2023Narratives of escape and often, loss.
The Public and Private Performance of The Deaf Body by Raymond Antrobus was informative and has me listening to Johnny Ray. The Golden Record, about the Earth soundscapes that have been launched into outer space reminded me of the excitement of when it was launched. As I read, I wondered if Caspar Henderson would mention Steve Martin’s famous line about the alleged alien species’ excitement when they discover the record at last. I was not disappointed.
Chanelle Benz writes beautifully. “…These are secret thoughts I have been keeping from myself. I am looking for a poem but I cannot find it unless I write it myself and I am no poet.”
“I had a tumultuous early childhood. And trauma doesn’t clean up after itself when it leaves.”
Other good pieces in no particular order, Auslander, Biography of X, The Schedule of Loss by Emily LaBarge.
The photo essays did not hold my attention in this issue, but the writing was especially superb.
The Public and Private Performance of The Deaf Body by Raymond Antrobus was informative and has me listening to Johnny Ray. The Golden Record, about the Earth soundscapes that have been launched into outer space reminded me of the excitement of when it was launched. As I read, I wondered if Caspar Henderson would mention Steve Martin’s famous line about the alleged alien species’ excitement when they discover the record at last. I was not disappointed.
Chanelle Benz writes beautifully. “…These are secret thoughts I have been keeping from myself. I am looking for a poem but I cannot find it unless I write it myself and I am no poet.”
“I had a tumultuous early childhood. And trauma doesn’t clean up after itself when it leaves.”
Other good pieces in no particular order, Auslander, Biography of X, The Schedule of Loss by Emily LaBarge.
The photo essays did not hold my attention in this issue, but the writing was especially superb.
March 18, 2023
Despite the title (and the explanation of it that is provided in the introduction), this issue of Granta left me feeling trapped in sadness, memory, complexity, and longing. Maybe the cumulative effect could push me to find the “escape” that is explicated on the front cover, but instead I felt like the pages were too convoluted to let me go.
April 24, 2023
A disappointing issue with only three pieces I found interesting: Hôtel Casanova by Nobel-prize winning Annie Ernaux, Biography of X by Catherine Lacey and A Light Bird by Maylis de Kerangal — kudos to the translators
April 17, 2023
Granta is always my favorite Literary magazine.
However, this issue was a bit weaker than usual.
However, this issue was a bit weaker than usual.
Want to read
June 1, 2023review later
April 15, 2024
Reproducing Paul van Des Fitzgerald
A Light Bird van Maylis de Kerangal
A Light Bird van Maylis de Kerangal
December 16, 2024
The usual eclectic mix of good writing and photography.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews