Resist the temptation to write stories you’re expected to write and take inspiration from a wide array of art forms. Use all the tools available to i… - Sarah Ladipo Manyika

In these tumultuous times, I keep returning to James Baldwin’s essays and in particular to his Notes of a Native Son. He reminds me of the importance of holding on to two seemingly contradictory ideas at the same time: staying committed to the struggles against injustices while keeping one’s heart free of hatred and despair.

How often I have felt lonely even when with someone. Lonelier sometimes than when I’m on my own.

For my second novel, I did almost no historical research. With Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun I played much more with form and with voice than I’d done in the past. As such, it was particularly gratifying to have the novel shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize, a prize that rewards innovative approaches to fiction.