Quote by Esi Edugyan: “The past never dies. It just sits in wait.”

This haunting statement emphasizes that historical events and their consequences don't truly vanish. Instead, they remain potent, lingering in the background, ready to resurface and influence the present at any moment.

The early 2010s saw renewed global focus on historical memory, especially concerning World War II and its lasting impacts on race and identity. Edugyan's work, exploring the hidden histories of Black musicians in Nazi Germany, underscores the enduring presence of historical traumas.

Canadian novelist of Ghanaian descent whose novel Washington Black won the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2018. Her work explores Black history, freedom, and identity across the Atlantic world, including the Caribbean plantation system and the history of slavery.