Catherine Toal reviews Preti Taneja's Aftermath in The Irish Times

Dean of Bard College Berlin and Professor of Literature Prof. Dr. Catherine Toal reviewed novelist Preti Taneja's memoir Aftermath in The Irish Times in an article titled "Aftermath by Preti Taneja: Terror attack recalled for a deeper purpose."

The book "centres on the London Fishmongers’ Hall attack of November 2019, when Usman Khan, a paroled terrorism convict, stabbed five people at a conference on offender rehabilitation, killing two of them," through the lens of the author's personal connection with the event. "Khan had been a participant in one of the creative writing classes taught at Whitemoor Prison by British novelist Preti Taneja. Invited to the conference, Taneja happened not to attend." In her review, Prof. Dr. Toal says Taneja "avoids typical ‘trauma’ memoir and instead makes trust her subject." She continues that Taneja "weaves a mesmerising blend of recollection, theory, aphorism, poetry and, yes, fact."

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Post Date: 05-15-2022