Some people read to escape, others to increase their capacity for empathy and understanding. At WellRead, we like to curate a program of books that do both.

Global politics is in a state of disarray. It has been difficult to know how to show up, what to say, how to provide tangible support. This month’s author, Yumna Kassab, says that she is “tired of politics being about numbers and dates, and I believe that the true impact should be how it plays out for individuals”. Stories are where this impact can be communicated, and it is in Politica that Kassab does this with the grace and honesty that she is revered for.

Politica is a novel set in no distinguishable country.

The characters are not there to be followed, the plot not there to decipher. You will be offered momentary glimpses into the past, present and future, and through this journey, you will be reminded of the pervasive, intergenerational impacts of war.

Born and raised in Western Sydney, Kassab went on to study medical science and neuroscience before making the move to regional NSW to teach. Her fiction has been listed for myriad awards, including The Stella Prize.

We hope that Politica opens you up to perspectives you might not have otherwise considered and that its vignettes move you as much as they did us.