The political publisher Biteback has launched an ambitious new series that, judging by the first three books published, tackles the controversy of the topics explored with a mixture of intelligence and forthright argument from some excellent writers.
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown is the series editor, and her book, Refusing the Veil, is the most passionate of the trio, dealing with her refusal, as a committed but liberal Muslim, to believe that women should be forced into wearing the veil. She thinks its continued use throughout western society legitimises a patriarchal, misogynistic order.
Alibhai-Brown writes with conviction about a subject close to her heart, and the examples she gives are often shocking. The only problem, as she acknowledges, is that the Islamophobic might take her nuanced and convincing arguments out of context as an attack on the faith.
The other titles are more entertaining, though no less profound. Zoe Williams, in The Madness Of Modern Parenting, offers a wry look at mothers’ rush to outdo not only fellow mums but their own parents in a desire to be the best at what she depicts as the most fulfilling and most frustrating job imaginable.
Finally, Peter York’s Authenticity Is a Con is a hugely entertaining paean to all the “inauthentic” people who have made life richer and more interesting. He ranges from marketing executives to Bowie and Roxy Music, while castigating the heart-on-sleeve producers of a more “authentic” life experience, which, he elegantly argues, is just as false as the ones it is intended to replace.
Future titles in this series include Kelvin MacKenzie defending immigration and Vicky Pryce arguing for positive discrimination; they promise to be equally thought-provoking reads.
