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"The Last White Man": Mohsin Hamid's fantasy on race, empathy

Mohsin Hamid is a Princeton- and Harvard-educated Pakistani novelist whose latest work explores the boundaries of human empathy. (Photo by Jillian Edelstein/cover art courtesy Riverhead Books/Penguin RandomHouse)
Mohsin Hamid is a Princeton- and Harvard-educated Pakistani novelist whose latest work explores the nature of racial identity and the boundaries of human empathy. (Photo by Jillian Edelstein/cover art courtesy Riverhead Books/Penguin RandomHouse)

It’s Midday on Books.  A little later in the hour, Tom speaks with Dan Fesperman, a former journalist with the Baltimore Sun who for many years has had a successful career as an author of thrillers, and he's written a new one that's terrific.

But we begin with one of the most original and compelling voices on the literary scene today. Mohsin Hamid has written five novels and a collection of essays. Two of his previous novels, Exit West and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, were New York Times best sellers and finalists for the Booker Prize.

His latest book explores the dynamics of race, and the notion of transformation. It is spare and powerful; ingenious, touching, and completely engrossing. It’s called The Last White Man

Mohsin Hamid joined us on Zoom from Lahore, Pakistan. His conversation with Tom was recorded last week, so we’re not able to take any calls or on-line comments today.

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Host, Midday (M-F 12:00-1:00)
Teria is a Supervising Producer on Midday.
Rob is a contributing producer for Midday.