THIS WEEK


The Black Issue 2023 Q&A: Tembe Denton-Hurst, Stacey Thomas


As Black people we have been grappling with the idea of Black excellence since the early 1900s. The idea that Black people need to be a credit to their race or excep- tional in any way to be worth attention is incredibly dangerous and I wanted to write about a character who is in some ways pushing back against this idea by being stunningly normal. She deserves space on the page too, as do Black people in real life.


I wanted to examine the sacrifices we make when pursuing a dream… and what we leave behind in pursuit of something fleeting


3 What would you say are the main themes of the


Five questions for... Tembe Denton-Hurst Author


Tembe Denton-Hurst’s début novel Homebodies follows Mickey, a Black woman in her twenties trying to navigate life and love when she returns to her home town after being unceremoniously fired from her job. Then Mickey’s social media post calling out racism within the media industry suddenly goes viral. The book was inspired by


Denton-Hurst’s own experiences and explores complex relation- ships, office politics, workplace discrimination, life in your twenties, cancel culture and social media. Denton-Hurst currently works as a staff writer at New York Magazine’s The Strategist, where she covers beauty, lifestyle and books. She talks to Natasha Onwuemezi.


1 Where did the idea for Homebodies come from?


I had to figure out something to write for a workshop I was taking, and one of the middle chapters of Homebodies is what came out. At the time, I thought I was writing the beginning, but in reality there was so much more to sort out. But those first few pages were a light in a dark room. The book’s inciting incident is inspired by an actual lay-off I experienced in 2019. It was devastating to me but I didn’t fully process all the elements of what a situation like that could bring. Writing a book helped me to play out some of those feelings and scenarios.


2 Why did you want to write a novel pushing


back on Black exceptionalism? 20 26th May 2023


book and why did you choose to explore them? A big theme is identity and inves- tigating where it comes from. I wanted to examine the sacrifices we make when pursuing a dream and, conversely, what we leave behind in pursuit of something fleeting but still incredibly impor- tant. I’m also considering this idea of growth. What does it mean to evolve? How does one do that? How does losing oneself bring you closer to the truth?


4 Who are your influences? Any artist who tells the


truth or translates the world in a way that makes me feel seen. Toni Morrison, Jill Scott, Gina Prince- Bythewood, Zora Neale Hurston, Nicole Dennis-Benn.


5 Are there plans for any more books?


Definitely. I think it would be fun to write a rom-com.


Tembe Denton-Hurst’s Homebodies is published in hardback by HQ on 6th July (9780008607715, £16.99).


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