Claudia Rankine

‘And where is the safest place when that place 
must be someplace other than in the body?’ 

It is difficult to describe exactly what happens in Claudia Rankine's beautiful collections, for the work of this renowned American author transcends the boundaries of the modern poetry collection. Her books combine essays, poetry, cultural criticism, photography and journalism, elements that together tell a powerful story. Rankine's words touch you, whether she is writing about alienation or intimacy. She writes unapologetically about racism in the United States, making palpable in words what it is like to be discriminated against and what it is like to discriminate, the shame and anger that comes with both. In her books, she exposes sensitive issues such as white privilege, the aggression of white men and the infamous hearings on Brett Kavanaugh in the United States. Her work has received numerous awards, including the Poets & Writers' Jackson Poetry Prize and a fellowship from The National Endowments of the Arts. Rankine now has five books of poetry to her credit, including her most famous work: Citizen: An American Lyric. In this collection, Rankine explores what it means to be an American citizen in a "post-racial" society. During the Poetry International Festival, the Dutch translation of Citizen will be presented, in collaboration with publishing house Atlas Contact.