Quote by Madeleine Thien: “Stories can heal, but they can also destroy. They are powerful.”

This quote highlights the dual nature of narratives, acknowledging their capacity for both profound healing and destructive potential. It underscores the immense power embedded in stories to shape perception, identity, and history.

In a world grappling with truth, misinformation, and the impact of different narratives, this quote emphasizes the ethical responsibility that comes with storytelling and interpretation.

Canadian novelist of Malaysian-Chinese descent whose novel Do Not Say We Have Nothing was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2016 and won the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her work traces political trauma across generations through music, memory, and displacement.