THE LAST GOOD BOOK I READ… Tope Folarin (Writer) Travelers by Helon Habila

Writer Tope Folarin said his last good read is Helon Habila’s ‘Travelers.’ “I enjoyed it for a whole number of reasons,’’ he said. “One, I think the prose is great. I mean this is a master at work. The thing about Helon’s prose is that it’s not showy. People think that in order to write […]

Writer Tope Folarin said his last good read is Helon Habila’s ‘Travelers.’ “I enjoyed it for a whole number of reasons,’’ he said. “One, I think the prose is great. I mean this is a master at work. The thing about Helon’s prose is that it’s not showy. People think that in order to write well, you have to kind of throw in all the adjectives. His prose is not showy but he is in full control. The pacing is also great.

“Because I do a lot of reviews in DC, where I read a book and then have to talk about it, sometimes I have to find a redeeming quality. I really enjoyed reading the book. It is about a group of people who are marginalized, who are living on the very fringes of society and are at the same time trying to create a sense of family and life. At every turn, it is almost as if the society that they inhabit throws away their efforts to live as full human beings, so there is an element of tragedy.”

Folarin is a Nigerian-American writer. He won the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2013 for his short story “Miracle”. His debut novel, ‘A Particular Kind of Black Man’ was published in 2019.