Latest news with #Absence
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Summer sizzlers: six must-read books by Black authors
Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. Amid an already bumper year of literary wins for Black authors, with the Sudanese writer Leila Aboulela's Pen Pinter prize among the most recent, there is no better time to beef up your summer reading list. In this week's newsletter, I'll talk you through some of my favourite page-turners – from a romcom about old flames to stories about queer life in Nigeria and a debut coming-of-age novel about class, affluence and grief. Sweet Heat by Bolu BabalolaBolu Babalola has become one of the foremost romcom writers – her short story collection Love in Colour was a bestseller and her debut novel, Honey & Spice, was picked for Reese Witherspoon's book club. Honey & Spice charted the fake-to-real romance of university students Malakai and Kiki. Now, the much anticipated follow-up, Sweet Heat, picks up three years after their explosive breakup, as Kiki finds that her ex is to be the best man at a wedding at which she is the maid of honour. Babalola expertly captures the frustration and tension that emerges when we encounter old flames, and asks us to consider how love can be equally transformative and disruptive. It's exactly the kind of book you need this summer. Sweet Heat is published by Headline Review (£18.99). To support the Guardian, order your copy at Delivery charges may apply. Great Black Hope by Rob FranklinThis debut novel centres on Smith, a young Black gay man who has been raised in a bourgeois family in Atlanta, and who is looking to escape his grief after discovering the body of his roommate, who had overdosed. Returning to Atlanta, the expectations of his family – a cabal of doctors and lawyers – only deepen his despair, and he soon finds himself again drawn once again to the tragic and glamorous New York underworld that claimed his friend's life. This book is a timely examination of the limits to which class can insulate Black people, and an antidote to respectability politics. Franklin was the son of an HBCU president during the Obama era, and it appears that he has gone through a significant journey while grappling with the pitfalls of affluence and shedding the false promises of exceptionalism. Great Black Hope is published by Simon & Schuster (£16.99). Order your copy at Absence by Issa QuincyIn Quincy's novel, the narrator is charmed by a poem first read to him as a child by his mother, which then follows him through his life. He's stirred by memories and emotions as he is confronted by letters and photographs, phantoms and secrets, all of which make up a life that has been affected by generations of profound familial tragedy. Quincy's prose is deftly lyrical and imaginative; I've had the pleasure of hearing him read from Absence at a literary salon in London and it was entrancing. He observes the fragility of memory, and what remains after our encounters, however fleeting, with people, say a schoolteacher or an estranged aunt; you might think of him as a counterpart to the novelists Rachel Cusk and Teju Cole. Absence is published by Granta Books (£14.99). Order your copy at Necessary Fiction by Eloghosa OsundeI loved Osunde's book Vagabonds!, so I am excited to get stuck into Necessary Fiction, which explores cross-generational queer life in Nigeria. The action is set in Lagos, a dynamic but chaotic 24-hour city, and against this buzzing backdrop Osunde's characters balance their sexuality and the demands of their lives: negotiating relationships with their parents, building chosen families, embracing and risking romance, and considering desire, death and religion. Lagos is a repository of dreams and aspirations that are often beaten down by the difficulties of the city – yet art, music and creativity have helped define it beyond the mismanagement and corruption it has suffered. 'Necessary fiction' is what Osunde's Lagosians must carry with them for survival. I look forward to getting to know them – and their stories. Necessary Fiction is published by Harper Collins (£16.99) on 31 July. Order your copy at The Catch by Yrsa Daley-WardThis hotly anticipated novel by the eminent writer and poet has been described as 'dark and lyrical' by the author Yomi Adegoke. You can certainly glean that from the synopsis. Twin sisters Clara and Dempsey became estranged after their mother vanished into the River Thames. But when, as adults, they notice a woman called Serene, who looks exactly like their mother at the time of her disappearance, their lives are thrown into confusion. Is Serene their mother? The originality of the plot is compelling, and so is Daley-Ward's exploration of familial absence and estrangement. The Catch is published by Cornerstone (£16.99). To support the Guardian, order your copy at Sign up to The Long Wave Nesrine Malik and Jason Okundaye deliver your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world after newsletter promotion Sunstruck by William Rayfet HunteBilled as Saltburn seen through the prism of race, Hunter's gay mixed-heritage narrator is down bad for the terrible and terribly wealthy Felix Blake, the brother of his university friend Lily. A romance develops during the summer when the unnamed narrator visits the Blake family in the south of France, but when they return to London, they are assailed by race and class tensions. Both men are haunted by past traumas, and the narrator also faces the sisyphean task of trying to fit into the Blake's world. In Sunstruck, Notting Hill in London is depicted as a site of great privilege and wealth (the Blake family's residence is there) and also a place where Caribbean culture is celebrated at the Notting Hill carnival. Sunstruck is published by Cornerstone (£16.99). Order your copy at To receive the complete version of The Long Wave in your inbox every Wednesday, please subscribe here.
Atlantic
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
Guest House
Gregory Halpern / Magnum April 27, 2025, 8:30 AM ET If I try to remember it's the sun I see Wet rope hung on painted clouds Silent summer warmth in Child's garden I fell from the tree of winterberries Mother is at the races tonight Old girl shouts at the dirt The house light glows through evening Lying, I watch— a cracked helmet tugs at my chin a fallen trunk by the tinkling pond I think of a black milk as the night sinks Issa Quincy is a British writer and the author of Absence . His work has appeared in The London Magazine , Transition Magazine , and The Kenyon Review , and has been anthologized by New Rivers Press.
Techday NZ
23-04-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Puma rolls out Workday to boost global HR & talent growth
PUMA has deployed Workday's Human Capital Management (HCM) solution to overhaul its global HR operations and support talent development efforts in key Asia Pacific and Japan markets. The adoption of Workday comes as part of PUMA's continued response to international growth, with more than 20,000 employees worldwide and a particularly strong presence in regions such as Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. The company's move is intended to help standardise HR processes, maintaining the company's culture through streamlined digital solutions. The suite of solutions implemented by PUMA includes Workday Learning, Workday Recruiting, Workday Compensation, and Workday Absence Management. This comprehensive adoption aims to provide consistency across PUMA's expanding footprint, contributing to employee engagement while reinforcing operational efficiency. Dietmar Knoess, VP People & Organization at PUMA, emphasised the central role employees play in the company's direction, stating, "At PUMA, our success is defined by our employees, and that's why we're all in on Workday. Workday gives us the data and processes to drive significant improvement in collaboration and allows us to identify, develop, and retain top talent, giving us a competitive edge." PUMA's focus on digital HR transformation is positioned as a strategic move to drive both speed and innovation within the business. The company reports that the use of Workday's platform has delivered improved data integrity and transparency, giving the firm real-time insights for more informed decision-making across all levels of the global organisation. The adoption of Workday has also brought changes to daily HR operations. A significant portion of business processes, estimated at 95%, are now initiated by employee service. This increase in self-service functionality allows PUMA's People & Organization team to devote greater attention to strategic initiatives, made possible by the process standardisation and automation introduced by the Workday platform. The shift in HR operations has enabled PUMA to increase its emphasis on talent development. Through the use of Workday, the company can assess workforce skills and focus on retention efforts. This has resulted in a notable increase in promotions from within: 80% of PUMA's leadership roles are now filled internally. The company attributes this figure to its commitment to staff development and the ability of Workday's centralised data system to support talent mobility, recruitment, performance management, and feedback processes. Workday's role in supporting PUMA's objectives was highlighted by Fabio Tiviti, Group Vice President, APAC & Japan Field Operations, who stated, "Workday is proud to partner with PUMA in their pursuit of operational excellence and innovation. Our unified platform provides PUMA with the agility and data-driven insights necessary to optimize HR processes, enhance employee engagement, and support strategic business objectives." With the introduction of Workday, PUMA reports improved capacities for strategic talent management and operational efficiency, supporting further growth within the competitive global sports sector. Other notable brands in Australia using Workday for HCM include Canva, The Iconic, MECCA, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Qantas, Nandos, and The Salvation Army.
