Her analysis is light, and at times she even uses Orientalist language – describing female relatives as “Sphinx-like, Geisha-like” – despite her general critique of Western imaginings of “Oriental” women. In seeking to challenge conservative discourse, Malik writes at the edges of postcolonial theory rather than taking the reader on a deep dive.
Although she situates these debates within the context of Britain and the United States, they are also relevant in Australia, where the study of “Western civilisation” has become a tool to fight political correctness and the Me Too movement has gained both traction and vitriolic derision. Her book examines and attempts to shatter the myths she views as driving the polarisation of public discourse, such as the myth that identity politics divides society, or that free speech is under threat. Malik’s central argument is that myth-making drives our world, and while myths are necessary frameworks for building societies, they can become “toxic delusions”.
In We Need New Stories, she brings together much of her oeuvre and extends it into a book-length polemic. Over her decade-long career in journalism, Guardian columnist and features writer Nesrine Malik has established herself as a well-known political commentator.
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