Author:Rupa Marya,Raj Patel
'A work of exhilarating scope and relevance ... What a rare and powerful experience to feel a book in your very body' Naomi Klein
'Health is not something we can attain as individuals, for ourselves, hermetically sealed off from the world around us. An injury to one is an injury to all.'
Our bodies, societies and planet are inflamed. In this boldly original book, renowned political economist Raj Patel teams up with physician Rupa Marya to illuminate the hidden relationships between human health and the profound injustices of our political and economic systems. In doing so, they offer a radical new cure: the deep medicine of decolonization.
Journeying through the human body - our digestive, endocrine, circulatory, respiratory, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems - Marya and Patel show how inflammation is connected not just to the food that we eat, the air that we breathe and access to healthcare, but is also linked to the traumatic events we experience and the very model of health that doctors practice: one which takes things apart, rather than seeking to bring ideas and lived experiences together.
Combining the latest scholarship on globalization and biology with the stories of patients in marginalized communities and the wisdom of Indigenous groups, Inflamed points the way toward a medicine that heals what has been divided and has the potential to transform not only our bodies but the world.
A work of exhilarating scope and relevance to this infected moment in the body politic. Inflamed mixes medicine, argument, and metaphor into a post-pandemic poultice: reading it is the first step in the deep medicine it prescribes. What a rare and powerful experience to feel a book in your very body.
—— Naomi Klein , author of On FireProvocative and thought provoking. . . a reckoning with modern medicine . . . At each physiological juncture, the co-authors relate the malfunctions of human biology to the inadequacies of our political and economic systems
—— Andrew Zaleski , GQA compelling book on the social and environmental roots of our poor health... the writers combine their respective expertise to analyse the workings of these cells and organs, and to interrogate how they have been disrupted by our modern constructs of capitalism, colonialism, extractivism and individualism, amongst others
—— Rachel Andrews , Irish TimesUrgent, impeccably researched . . . a subversive political analysis . . . remarkably lucid
—— Aarathi Prasad , GuardianA remarkably powerful analysis . . . compelling detail . . . a revolutionary book that calls for courageous action to dismantle those structures that harm the health of people and the planet and to rebuild ones that centre care
—— Aletha Maybank , The LancetAt last! A book about medicine and healthcare that is holistic in the broadest sense in that it integrates histories of colonialism, conflict and inequality with alternative forms of knowledge. And all that while remaining compellingly readable and engaging.
—— Amitav Ghosh , author of Jungle Nama and Gun IslandScience and medicine are often treated as fields that are subtracted from social movements, separate from the struggle for power that billions of human beings are embroiled in and abstracted from the material conditions around us. Luckily for us, Rupa Marya and Raj Patel are out here making these connections and encouraging us to see these as processes we all must take ownership of as we fight to have control of our surroundings. This book is on fire.
—— Boots Riley , frontperson for The Coup and Writer/Director of Sorry to Bother YouA critique of the wreckage of capitalism and colonialism for our time--beautifully written, storytelling at its best. This book can change your life.
—— Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz , author of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United StatesCompelling reading... It encourages both clinicians and members of the public to look at their health intrinsically linked to other people, their own community, the environment, as well as the politics and economics of their country, and more broadly, the world
—— Dipesh Gopal , BJGP LifeInflamed takes the reader on a journey deep inside the human body . . . In doing so, it reveals how external inequalities affect these systems and cause serious harm
—— Layla Liverpool , New ScientistChristie Watson is deliciously funny and candid about life as a perimenopausal woman in all its (sweaty) glory. A book to gift sisters, mothers and friends
—— i, *Christmas Gift Guide 2022*How does Christie Watson do it? No-one depicts with greater wisdom and tenderness the unruly, bewildering, mercurial gorgeousness of the human body. I adored this book
—— Rachel Clarke, author of DEAR LIFEGenerous notes from the heat of female experience. Read it with a sigh of relief and gratitude
—— Diana Evans, author of ORDINARY PEOPLEI loved it... Hilarious and necessary. Should be required reading for anyone over forty!
—— Francesca SegalI love Quilt on Fire! I feel very seen. Christie Watson captures the chaos and uncertainty of midlife exactly... A hilarious romp at times, Quilt on Fire is also a moving and insightful exploration of a transformational inner journey... A joyful book that celebrates our journey back to who we are - women who dare to fly in colour
—— Kathryn Mannix, author of WITH THE END IN MINDFunny, honest, liberating and wise - Christie Watson has written the equivalent of a laugh-until-you-cry conversation with a best friend
—— Jess Kidd, author of THINGS IN JARSHilarious, heartfelt and deeply moving, Christie has written a manifesto for all those of us who need to rediscover a life worth loving. A must-read
—— Kate Bowler, author of EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASONA rallying cry for all those confused by their forties, Watson captures midlife with typical fearlessness, humour and style. Her writer's eye never looks away from the truth but seeks only to illuminate it. Every woman should read this book
—— Sarah Langford, author of IN YOUR DEFENCEUnsettling and life-affirming, funny and sad, unflinchingly honest and incredibly moving, this is a bloody marvellous book, fired with the realisation that love is the only thing that matters, in the end
—— John Sutherland, author of BLUESensational and so necessary. I really needed this book and I definitely won't be the only one. Women everywhere will weep with gratitude
—— Tiffany Atkinson, author of LUMENRaw and real and laugh-out-loud funny. So timely... Quilt on Fire is like a supportive friend reaching out a hand, saying it will be okay
—— Karen Angelico, author of EVERYTHING WE AREIn this bold and beautiful memoir, the author of The Language of Kindness turns her gift for writing to the nub of things to the emotional chaos of midlife; the terror at the changes it wreaks, but also its strange power to deliver clarity. Having weathered this turbulence myself, I think it's the truest account of perimenopause I have yet read
—— Caroline Sanderson , Bookseller[A] sharp, hilarious, gritty perimenopause memoir - a book for any woman drowning in the uncharted seas of midlife
—— Daily Telegraph, *Summer Reads of 2022*Wildly entertaining
—— THE BOOKSELLERI LOVED this absolute cracker of a book about the cuckoo in the next and a toxic female friendship. Highly recommended
—— LIZ NUGENT, author of LYING IN WAIT and OUR LITTLE CRUELTIESI loved hanging out with Ronke, Simi and Boo. A brilliant portrayal of how complicated friendships can sometimes be
—— NINA POTTELLThis story draws you in and spits you out, breathless. Echoes of Atwood's The Robber Bride but so its own thing. A treat.
—— KATE SAWYER, author of THE STRANDINGA heady mix of friendship, dark comedy and murder. WAHALA is razor-sharp
—— OK! MAGAZINEMay's nuanced exploration of race and gender makes this refreshing. This will leave readers intrigued to see what May does next
—— PUBLISHER'S WEEKLYA terrific, witty debut
—— I-NEWSWAHALA hooked me from page one and kept me enthralled till the (TWIST!) end. A riot of colour and noise, friendships, enemies, secrets, lies and soul food. Written with a lightness of touch. Insightful, clever, and honest. I will read anything and everything she writes
—— ERICKA WALLER, author of DOG DAYSThis gripping debut is a journey of friendship, revenge and finding your true self
—— STYLIST MAGAZINENikki May builds a propulsive reading experience as she slowly reveals Isobel's manipulations while keeping the reasons behind them hidden. Compelling character studies of each of the women don't shy away from the jealousies and judgements that sometimes make the line between friend and enemy razor thin...A fascinating look at the dark side of female friendship
—— KIRKUSA funny brilliant read
—— BELLAThis will satisfy hungry appetites and blow your thriller taste buds. Deliciously spicy
—— HEAT MAGAZINE, Read of the WeekNikki May's sharp and funny debut novel is a delight on many levels. WAHALA bursts with life from start to finish
—— DAILY EXPRESS, 'Books of 2022'May seamlessly weaves love, betrayal, self-reflection, and Nigerian food, clothing, and customs into this fast-paced debut...Fans of domestic suspense will revel in this tale of friendship, family, and forgiveness, set in the cultural milieu of Lagos
—— LIBRARY JOURNALSharp and darkly witty
—— CULTURE FLYA rapid and wildly hilarious page-turner
—— COUNTRY AND TOWN HOUSEA hotly tipped debut for 2022
—— DAILY EXPRESSWAHALA combines a frank and daring exploration of modern female friendship with a dark, punchy thriller
—— WOMAN AND HOMEFabulously fun
—— PRIMA MAGAZINEMay's skill for weaving together entertaining personal problems with a wistfulness for Nigerian food, customs and culture is unparalleled. WAHALA is hard to put down - an energetic, entertaining interrogation of a fundamentally flawed friendship
—— I-NEWSRefreshing and original. Exhilarating
—— SUNDAY TIMES, Best Popular Fiction of 2022Contemporary female friendship goes glam in this lively debut novel with remarkable depth
—— WASHINGTON POSTI would definitely recommend this book to friends. I already have!
—— Recommended Read, BBC Radio 2 Book ClubSharply observed ... sophisticated and culturally adept ... May is a masterful chronicler of Black upper-middle-class lie and ennui in Britain. WAHALA is both great fun and extremely smart in how it captures some of the central issues in modern city living: women's evolving roles in home and work, interracial relationships and multicultural identity, the current competition that runs through so many friendships and daily interactions and, most of all, how easily intimacy can morph into enmity
—— NPR.ORGWitty-wity-edge. Its humour is pin sharp
—— THE SHIFT, Sam Baker's Summer ReadingA dazzling, rich and efferverscent read. It's relevant and full of life. The killer edge was unexpectedly shocking. Just fantastic in every way
—— NB MAGAZINEA glorious read
—— STYLIST MAGAZINE, 'The Style List'Spicy as Aunty K's moin moin, satisfying as a plate of Ronke's jollof rice
—— SAGA MAGAZINEPacy, fun and gripping ... May wanted to write "a brown Sex and the City, or a brown Big Little Lies" - we reckon WAHALA could be just as big
—— EVENING STANDARD, Faces of 2022Like "Sex and the City" but set in London. And with mystery. And murder
—— COSMOPOLITANThe upshot is a funny, slightly murdery story about three women and their wahala, or "trouble" - their boyfriends, their professional aspirations, and their weaves
—— GLAMOUR MAGAZINEThe novel's strength lies in May's attention to her main character's identities. May's breezy prose is well-suited to these moments of casual intimacy, unfolding over drinks, at the hairdresser's or at the kitchen table, where all the best gossip takes place
—— NEW YORK TIMESSome of the smartest reading fun I've had all year
—— DAISY BUCHANANIt was one of the most interesting books I've ever read[...] I came away a lot more enlightened and educated myself.
—— Marie ClaireThis is a fascinating, breathtaking memoir that you won't be able to put down.
—— Good HousekeepingA really remarkable story
—— VIP MagazineBreathtaking
—— StylistEducated is devastatingly entertaining. Morbidly fascinating. Educated is, without doubt, an essential read.
—— British Journal of General PracticeI found myself forcing onto other people just so I could talk to them about it.
—— VogueIt's brilliant.
—— Donna Air , Sunday TelegraphIn her beautifully written memoir, Westover explores her complex childhood and her heart-breaking decision to leave her family and pursue an education. It is proof of the transformative power of learning and the importance of second chances
—— Harper's BazaarI devoured this book. I loved it . . . It's such a good book
—— Sara JonesIt's amazing
—— Alex Jones