At the Hay Festival last week, on the border of England and Wales, I listened to Azeem Rafiq talk about the experiences which provide the cornerstone of “It’s not banter, its racism,” his new book.
This was not the first time I have listened to him speak about those experiences — my interview with him on Oct. 9, 2023, is available on the Arab News website. Since then, his life has continued to be buffeted by Shakespearean “slings and arrows of outrageous fortunes,” from which there seems to be little prospect of escape.