Shame on Me (memoir) explained

Genre:	Memoir
Media Type:	Print
Release Date:	March 24, 2020
Publisher:	Random House of Canada
Shame On Me
Language:	English
Country:	Canada
Author:	Tessa McWatt

Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging is a collection of autobiographical essays by Guyana-born Canadian writer Tessa McWatt,^[1] published on March 24, 2020, by Random House Canada.

Reception

Shame on Me received a starred review from Quill & Quire, which said: "Tessa McWatt’s original and moving memoir, interrogates ideas of race, belonging, shame, purpose, destiny, desire, and identity. Through an examination of her physical body, she holds up a mirror to the ways culture and society read race and the bodies of others – their skin, hair, bones, and more. She does this with remarkable research and precision – an anatomical and literary close-reading of her own history and heritage."^[2] Among other positive reviews were those appearing in Caribbean Collective Magazine ("a vivid picture of how oppressive regimes from colonial times follow us to the modern day"),^[3] Medium ("McWatt seamlessly connects the past and present...a beautifully woven account"),^[4] CBC Books ("a personal and powerful exploration of history and identity"),^[5] and in The Guardian, where Barbara Taylor described Shame on Me as an "eloquent and moving book".^[6] CBC named it one of the top nonfiction books of 2020.^[7] The book also received the following accolades:

• Governor General's Literary Award for Nonfiction finalist (2020)^[8]
• OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature shortlist (2021)^[9]

External links

• "40 works of Canadian nonfiction to watch for in spring 2020", CBC Books, March 5, 2020.
• "The CBC Books 2020 summer reading list", CBC Books, June 30, 2020.
• "Tessa McWatt explores race through the lens of her own multi-ethnic identity in her latest book", CBC Radio, May 8, 2020.
• Ryan B. Patrick, "How life in a Trumpian, post-Brexit world prompted Tessa McWatt to explore race and identity in her new memoir", CBC Books, June 3, 2020.
• "25 books by Black Canadian authors to read in 2021", CBC Books, February 18, 2021.
• "20 books by Black Canadian authors to read in honour of Emancipation Day 2021", CBC Books, July 30, 2021.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Tessa McWatt, Bionic Woman . Wordfest . Calgary, Canada . 2022-10-09.
2. Web site: Mason Pierre. Terese. 2020-05-25. Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging. 2021-10-15. Quill and Quire. en.
3. Web site: Alya. October 2020. For Multiracial Girls: My Review of Tessa McWatt's 'Shame on Me: An Anatomy of Race and Belonging'. 2021-10-15. Caribbean Collective Magazine. en-US.
4. Web site: Fitzhugh. Becky. 2021-02-10. Review of Shame on Me- An Anatomy of Race and Belonging, Tessa McWatt.. 2021-10-15. Medium. en.
5. Web site: July 30, 2020. Shame on Me. 2020-10-15. CBC Books.
6. Web site: Taylor. Barbara. 2019-12-23. Shame on Me by Tessa McWatt review – on race and belonging. 2021-10-15. The Guardian. en.
7. Web site: 2020-12-18. The best Canadian nonfiction of 2020. 2021-10-15. CBC Books.
8. Web site: 2021-05-04. Francesca Ekwuyasi, Billy-Ray Belcourt & Anne Carson among 2020 Governor General's Literary Awards finalists. 2021-10-15. CBC Books.
9. Web site: 2020-04-02. Announcing the 2020 OCM Bocas Prize Shortlist • Bocas Lit Fest. 2021-10-15. Bocas Lit Fest. en-US.