Zoé Whitley is an art historian and curator, and is the director of Chisenhale Gallery. Based in London, UK, she has held curatorial positions at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate galleries, and the Hayward Gallery. Zoé was born in Washington, D.C. and began her career as an intern at LACMA, subsequently rising to become one of the UK's Most Influential Arts Leaders.
Which three books would you recommend?
Amazing Grace Jonathan Kozol
It was in plain English, and with great empathy, advocated for those who are least empowered in American society. It taught me so much but more than that, it honoured the hope and humanity of its protagonists. It compelled me to get a summer job volunteering at Marian Wright Edelman's Children's Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. and has had a profound formative effect on how, in my curatorial work, I try to ask and answer "who is being left out and how can that be changed?"
As I Lay Dying William Faulkner
This book literally changed my perception because it's the first book told from multiple perspectives I ever read. It introduced me to the concept of the potentially untrustworthy narrator. This has since become one of the narrative devices I most appreciate in fiction, whether in a searing work such as Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible, Marlon James' utterly epic A Brief History of Seven Killings or a pure pleasure read like Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott's Swan Song. If you're a fan of modernist literature and are interested in the fissures and failures of family, then Faulkner's influential stream-of-consciousness novel is a relentless but rewarding read.
The Yellow HouseSarah M. Broom
This may seem an odd choice. It is written by the "babiest" of twelve siblings, but this true story of growing up as the youngest in a family rooted in East New Orleans is simultaneously a love letter to kin, to community, and to a vibrant, resilient city. Not every moment is joyous but the book is so tender and caring in its chronicling that I was left with renewed appreciation for family togetherness despite the odds and for the very idea of home.
What is your favourite bookstore or library?
I'm partial to the Cinema Bookshop in Hay-on-Wye. Housed in a disked Welsh movie theatre, this second-hand bookshop never fails me for brilliant finds.