Dead and Alive

Smith gives a masterclass in the modern essay. In Dead and Alive, Zadie Smith once again confirms that she is among the most expert essayists of her generation . . . Even when she writs about death, disillusionment, or the absurdity of fame, "protect your consciousness," she advises, and this book feels like an act of protection in itself - an argument for stillness, attention, and moral imagination in a distracted world. Smith has written a generous, fiercely intelligent collection that reminds us why essays matter. They keep us awake, alive, and, in Smith's words, "just human enough to hope" Evening Standard