Hanif Kureishi, the British writer known for his incisive explorations of identity and culture, reflects on his life following a severe accident that left him tetraplegic. After spending a challenging year in hospitals in Rome and London recovering from a fall on Boxing Day 2022, Kureishi has embarked on a personal journey of reinvention amid the constraints of his condition.

His memoir, *Shattered*, penned during the aftermath of his injury, details the abrupt severance from his prior life—a transition to a state where he has no movement in his hands or legs, reliant on others yet retaining full mental clarity. Despite his paralysis, Kureishi’s sharp wit and contemplative nature remain undiminished. Removed from the distractions of modern technology, such as smartphones, he finds himself both reflective and candid about his changed circumstances and surroundings.

In his latest work, a collection of essays co-authored with his son Carlo, Kureishi revisits elements of his past while confronting the realities of his present. The book, titled *Are You With Me Now?*, takes its name from a song Kureishi once listened to during drives in Italy with his partner, Isabella. The title also resonates with his son Sachin’s Gen Z approach to the world—embracing presence without distraction.

The essays reveal Kureishi’s mixture of irreverence and insight as he challenges the complacency he observes in his community in Shepherd’s Bush, London. In a symbolic act of rebellion, he dons a diamond stud in his left ear, a piercing that once provoked his father’s anger during his youth, and sports a Maga cap in public—actions intended to provoke a reaction that largely fails to materialize. Reflecting on this indifference, he criticizes the localized self-absorption he perceives, noting that embracing extremist views is far less compelling in practice than imagined.

Throughout the book, Kureishi confronts themes of mortality, desire, and identity with a tone that is often humorous and sharply perceptive, resisting sentimentality even toward those closest to him. Sexual intimacy has become complicated by his physical state, yet his appetite for life and passion endures. The collection stands as a testament to resilience, presence, and the search for meaning amid profound change.

*Are You With Me Now?* by Hanif Kureishi with Carlo Kureishi is available through Hamish Hamilton.