Tales of Two Planets

Tales of Two Planets, expertly curated by the beloved writer and editor John Freeman, builds upon his acclaimed anthology Tales of Two Americas. In this new collection, Freeman gathers some of the most remarkable writers from around the globe to illuminate how the environmental crisis impacts the world's most vulnerable communities.

Over the last five years, John Freeman, the former editor of Granta, has launched Freeman's, an esteemed international literary magazine, and compiled two well-received anthologies focused on the issue of income inequality. One recurring theme in his work is the way climate change exacerbates existing inequalities, further devastating populations already in dire circumstances. Yet the challenges posed by climate change are not confined to less developed regions alone.

Spurred by discussions with writers and activists worldwide, Freeman has collaborated with some of today's most powerful storytellers, many originating from areas under severe strain, stretching from Burundi’s capital to Bangkok, Thailand. The contributors' responses have been extraordinary.

Margaret Atwood imagines a dystopian future in a compelling poem; Lauren Groff takes us to Florida, Edwidge Danticat to Haiti, Tahmima Anam to Bangladesh, and Yasmine El Rashidi to Egypt. Eka Kurniawan transports us to Indonesia, Chinelo Okparanta to Nigeria, and Anuradha Roy to the Himalayas, highlighting the impact of floods, dam building, and drought. This anthology offers a literary all-points bulletin through fiction, essays, poems, and reportage about the most critical crisis facing our planet today.