Why Does An Author’s Ethnicity Matter?

Booker favorite Monica Ali is the object of much speculation about her ethnicity. “The cult of the ethnic author is infuriating for the simple reason that it takes the focus away from the work. Who cares if Ali is ‘black’ or ‘white,’ or whether she was closer to her Mum or her Abba? People have been so wrapped up in Ali that few have bothered with critical examination of the book.”