Description

‘Gutsy, entertaining and thought-provoking…A marvellous book.’ Diana Evans

What’s in a name? Everything we carry, and everything we are.

Our names are a shadow we carry around with us. They are part of who we are. Our names are a marker of our self-identity and our sense of self. Our names have the power to shock. They have the power to heal, and they have the power to trigger conversations around race, class, social mobility and belonging. But what is a name? What do our names tell us about ourselves? And why do they matter?

Named is a fascinating exploration of names, global naming conventions and identity politics woven into a moving, personal narrative about the finding of family and self. At the intersection of memoir and social and cultural history it is a truly fascinating book about the seemingly ordinary and every day.

The author’s own narrative about her estrangement from her Nigerian father, the grapples with her Jamaican mother and her journey towards identity is woven through the chapters making it an engaging and intimate investigation of what makes us who we are.

Publisher Review

‘Utterly fascinating, insightful and meaningful. Balshaw has sensitively unpicked the loaded act of naming and carrying a name through her own story.’ Bonnie Burke-Patel, author of I Died at Fallow Hall ‘Gutsy, entertaining and thought-provoking, a valuable meditation on the origins and politics of what we call ourselves, on what is both lost and gained in naming. A marvellous book.’ Diana Evans ‘Bold and wise, Balshaw’s intimately wry voice invites us to explore our identity, our names and their meaning in a captivating hunt for a past and for a self’ Miranda Doyle, author of A Book of Untruths ‘A smart new voice that has mined intimate detail with in-depth research to create pure alchemy. Named is both tender and fierce in the way it beckons you to look at what is important about being human. A universal story that will lodge itself in your heart long after you have turned the last page’ Tanya Frank, author of Zig Zag Boy: Madness, Motherhood and Letting Go ‘Named is required reading by anyone wanting to explore their place in society and the world in general’ Yvonne Innes ‘Funny, insightful, meticulously researched and full of warmth. Camilla Balshaw is a natural storyteller and this is an astonishingly assured and impressive debut’ Jenny Boyd, author of Jennifer Juniper: A journey beyond the muse