Radical: A Life of My Own

Xiaolu Guo's new memoir is a playful, provocative, and original take on striving for a life of her own. It explores separation by continents, language, and people, and is an expression of her fascination with Western culture and nostalgia for Eastern landscapes. It is an intimate account of her efforts to carve out a life of her own.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 07 March 2024
Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Xiaolu Guo, a prize-winning writer and filmmaker, has released a new memoir that is playful, provocative, and original. This deeply personal take on striving for a life of her own is a captivating read.

When it comes to weaving light and shadow on the complexities of living, loving, and language, Xiaolu Guo is one of the most valuable writers in the world. Her work often explores the intersection of culture, identity, and language, and her latest memoir is no exception.

In the autumn of 2019, Xiaolu traveled to New York to take up a position as a visiting professor for a year, leaving her child and partner behind in London. The encounter with American culture and people threatened her sense of identity and threw her into a crisis of meaning, desire, obligation, and selfhood.

This memoir is about separation—by continents, by language, and from people. It is about being an outsider and the desperate longing to connect. Xiaolu uses her exploration of language, one of the meanings of the word "radical" is the graphic component, or root, of Chinese characters, and her own life, to create this unique text. At once a memoir, a dictionary, and an ardent love letter, it is an expression of her fascination with Western culture and her nostalgia for Eastern landscapes, and an attempt to describe the space in between.

An archive of an artist's search for creative freedom, it is above all else an intimate account of her efforts to carve out a life of her own. Xiaolu's writing is bold, intelligent, and brave, and her memoir is a testament to her talent as a storyteller.

In conclusion, Xiaolu Guo's new memoir is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the complexities of living, loving, and language. Her writing is playful, provocative, and original, and her exploration of identity and culture is thought-provoking and inspiring. This memoir is a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of carving out a life of one's own.

Weight: 282g
Dimension: 196 x 129 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529920024