Aaron Robertson is a writer, editor, and translator (from Italian); he was also a judge for the 2024 International Booker Prize. His nonfiction debut, The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2024), has been praised as “an extraordinary new work of history and memoir” (The Washington Post) and a “captivating exploration” that “weaves together memoir, history, and social analysis” (The New Republic). In his book, Robertson offers a nuanced portrait of the struggle for spaces—both ideological and physical—where Black dignity, protection, and nourishment are paramount. This book is the story of a movement and of a world still in the making—one that points the way toward radical alternatives for the future.
The Center for the Humanities is excited to offer a unique, small-group discussion for students, faculty, and staff. Participants will have the opportunity to dive deeper into The Black Utopians. Robertson will discuss his experience translating extensive research and field work into narrative nonfiction and lead an informal conversation on key subject areas of the book, including social and utopian movements, marginalized histories, religion and art, as well as the craft of writing narrative nonfiction.
To join: Seats are limited and available on a first-come basis. We’ll share a suggested excerpt of The Black Utopians you may read in advance of the discussion. Please email weindling@wisc.edu with your name and affiliation to join. Light refreshments will be provided.