Collected Essays by Hanif Kureishi

The first part of this well-written and thought-provoking collection of essays opens with The Rainbow Sign, which the author thinks was the first essay he ever wrote. Originally intended as an introduction to his published screenplay of My Beautiful Laundrette, it stands on its own as an autobiographical examination of the issues of race, family, class and sexuality aired in that exceptional film.

The second section, on film, starts with a short introduction to My Beautiful Laundrette, and continues with an account of time spent in the 1980s working with director Stephen Frears on the screenplay for Sammy and Rosie Get Laid. This and his thoughts on the writing of another film, Venus, are must-reads for film buffs, giving good insights into the creative process.

The third section offers reflections on the art of writing, drawn in part from his experience teaching creative writing to varied groups. These are interesting, but because this collection was written over a considerable period of time, they are a little repetitive, and particularly laboured when drawing parallels between the beneficial effects of psychoanalysis and creative writing. I’m sure he could condense this part into one cracking summary. He has included two excellent introductions, one to The Collected Stories of John Cheever and another to The Graduate, which made me want to revisit the originals.

The final essays, oddly labelled Domestic, are three little pieces that obviously didn’t fit in the other categories. It was a little disappointing that he chose to end the book on a low note of 50-year-old drunkenness, even though he was remembering Venice after vodka. Although uneven and dated in parts, this collection gives an insight into the mind of one of our most talented writers.