Dead and Alive

This is a new book. Condition: Brand New.

An illuminating new essay collection from one of the most distinctive, exciting and acclaimed writers of her generation, Zadie Smith

In this keenly awaited new collection, Zadie Smith brings her unique skills as an essayist to bear on a range of subjects which have captured her attention in recent years.

She takes an exhilaratingly close look at artists Toyin Ojih Odutola, Kara Walker and Celia Paul. She invites us along to the movies, to see and to think about Tar, and to Glastonbury to witness the ascendance of Stormzy. She takes us on a walk down Kilburn High Road in her beloved North West London and invites us to mourn with her the passing of writers Joan Didion, Martin Amis, Hilary Mantel, Philip Roth and Toni Morrison. She considers changes of government on both sides of the Atlantic - and the meaning of 'the commons' in all our lives.

Throughout this thrilling collection, Zadie Smith shows us once again her unrivalled ability to think through critically and humanely some of the most urgent preoccupations and tendencies of our troubled times.

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Paperback / softback
ISBN13: 9780241729601
Published: October 2025

Number of pages: 352
Width: 152 mm
Height: 233 mm
Depth: 26 mm

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd