Alex Haley (August 11th, 1921 – February 10th, 1992) was an American author, best known for his 1976 Pulitzer Prize winning book Roots: The Saga of an American Family, adapted to a series a year later in 1977.
While a fantastic story, Roots was not without controversy and its release was marred by accusations of plagiarism (proven to be partly true), and doubts cast on the authenticity of the family ties. Today the book is accepted to be a work of fiction, and controversy aside is still a worthy read with an important message.
Alex Haley is no longer with us, but from the archives we have this interview with the author from 1977 where he talks of slavery and the horrors of that time.
Celebrated queer poet and activist, Andrea Gibson, dies age 49
American queer poet and activist, Andrea Gibson, has sadly passed away at the age of…
The Salt Path: Beloved Memoir or Literary Deception? The Controversy Surrounding Raynor Winn
July 9, 2025
The Salt Path: Beloved Memoir or Literary Deception? The Controversy Surrounding Raynor Winn
When Raynor Winn’s memoir The Salt Path hit shelves in 2018, it quickly became a…
Stephen King: The Dollar Baby Concept
July 4, 2025
Stephen King: The Dollar Baby Concept
The “Dollar Baby” concept: Since the late 1970s/early 1980s, Stephen King has allowed student filmmakers,…
British Library symbolically reinstate Oscar Wilde’s reader card
The British Library are symbolically reinstating the reader card of renowned Irish poet, playwright, and…
Edmund White, pioneer in LGBTQ+ literature, dies at 85
Edmund White, a writer widely regarded as a pioneering figure in the world of LGBTQ+…
Salman Rushdie attacker sentenced to 25 years in prison
Hadi Matar (27) who stabbed and partially blinded novelist, Sir Salman Rushdie during a lecture…