How To Say Babylon

How To Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair is an award-winning and deeply inspiring memoir that chronicles a young woman's journey from the restrictive confines of her childhood to discovering her own path in the world. Sinclair, born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, a place where luxury hotels stand in stark contrast to the stringent purview of her father, navigates her formative years under the watchful eye of a volatile reggae musician and militant Rastafarian. Charged with preserving the purity of his family against the rampant immorality he associates with the Western world, her father imposes an array of prohibitions that stifle Sinclair's early life.

Against this backdrop of control and fear, her mother endeavours to bring aspects of joy and intellectual freedom into her children's lives through the world of books and poetry. As Sinclair's imagination grows and her independent spirit begins to unfurl, the tensions with her father escalate. The once safe confines of home turn into a battleground where she realises that survival and true freedom can only be ensured by leaving the very life she knows. But the path to liberation is fraught with challenges, and Sinclair's endeavour to break free underscores her resilience and determination.

How To Say Babylon is not just a memoir; it is a powerful testament to hope, imagination, and the unyielding quest for personal freedom against the odds. Sinclair's narrative is a vivid portrayal of how one's environment shapes but does not define one's destiny.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION

'Vivid and empowering' - GILLIAN ANDERSON

'A stunning book' - BERNARDINE EVARISTO

'Dazzling' - TARA WESTOVER

'A story about hope, imagination and resilience' - GUARDIAN

A Guardian and Observer summer read, How To Say Babylon has been universally acclaimed and celebrated. It captures the essence of what it means to break free from one's confines and live life on one's own terms.

'I adored this book ... Unforgettable' - ELIF SHAFAK

'Electrifying' - OBSERVER

'To read it is to believe that words can save' - MARLON JAMES

'Breathless, scorching' - NEW YORK TIMES

This unforgettable memoir is a beacon of light for anyone who has ever faced oppression and dreamed of a way out. Sinclair's story is a poignant reminder that with hope, resilience, and the power of imagination, anything is possible.