The How

For us, here is a book that gives and gives, I loved every word of this phenomenally generous, nourishing and beautiful book – Salena Godden * author of Mrs Death Misses Death *
A brilliant reminder that the answers we seek are within ourselves … Yrsa Daley-Ward’s words are a guidepost, a reminder, and a welcome home – Stephanie Long * Refinery29 *
A heartfelt, artful manifesto focused on living fully and authentically … By turns simplistic, elegaic, and illuminative * Kirkus *
In this gratifying exploration of the self, Daley-Ward excels at describing the indescribable … this work defies genre and features a beautiful blend of lyrical prose and bold poetry… This is a tender, hopeful meditation * Publishers Weekly *

Yrsa Daley-Ward is a writer, poet and actress of mixed Jamaican and Nigerian heritage.

Since publishing her first poetry collection, the widely beloved bone, Yrsa has been in a constant state of exciting creative output, which earns her continued critical acclaim. Her follow-up book, the lyrical memoir The Terrible, garnered glowing praise and won her the prestigious PEN Ackerley Prize in 2019. Following that, she published The How, which NPR called “a hopeful work of meditation and healing” and has been taught in women’s prisons around the world.

Amidst all this, Yrsa continues to work and write in other areas of entertainment. In 2019, she worked closely with Beyonce to co-write Black Is King, “a grand statement of African-diaspora pride and creative power” and has been adapting The Terrible for screen. As an actress, she played Grace Jones in Kwei-Armah’s latest feature film. She splits her time between Brooklyn, New York and London.

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