I Want to Talk to You

Essays on music, dance and literature, fusing cultural criticism, social commentary and memoir, exploring the same concerns found in Diana’s fiction — but here from a more direct angle, collected together for the first time

From the critically acclaimed author of Ordinary People and A House for Alice – discover inspiring and far-reaching pieces of essays and journalism, brought together for the first time

Mariah Carey lies back on a king-size bed in a vest and a pair of boxer shorts, Lauryn Hill sits down with a sigh and says ‘listen, child. I’m one of those old young people – I feel 40 and I’m only 23’, and Viola Davis talks about losing her mind and writing her memoir during the pandemic. These are just a few of the iconic moments crystallised forever in interviews given to Diana Evans throughout her career as a journalist.

Moving through a series of portraits, we then consider writers and writing. As well as a meeting with the transcendent and ethereal Alice Walker and a five-minute interview with the inimitable Maya Angelou, we engage with Updike, Baldwin and Rhys, and the impact that these writers had upon Diana’s own writing. Finally, we zoom out and consider the world in which we and our loved ones live in, from sewing dresses during lockdown and the power of yoga, to talking to her daughter about mental health.

Crafted from 1998 to 2023, with the intelligence and sensitivity that Diana Evans is known for, I Want To Talk To You is a collection of pieces old and new about literature, art, creativity, and everything in between.