Zadie Smith puts uncertainty at the center of Muertos y vivos, a collection of thirty essays written between 2016 and 2025. Throughout the book, she questions her own views and invites readers to do the same. Salamandra published the collection, which covers topics from art and politics to technology and culture, El País reports.
The book is divided into five sections: 'Contemplando', 'Considerando', 'Reconsiderando', 'Recordando', and 'Confesando'. This structure lets Smith move between art criticism, political analysis, personal memories and cultural commentary without settling on a single viewpoint. The essays touch on subjects such as the abuse of power in the film Tár, climate change and the decline of the welfare state in the UK.
The release of Muertos y vivos coincided with Smith's appearance at the Festival de las Ideas in Madrid, where she discussed the book alongside Édouard Louis, Infobae reports.
Smith's attention to moments of unsettled thinking connects these essays. She examines such doubts closely, searching for new understanding. The title reflects this duality: the 'dead' are writers she remembers, including Joan Didion, Toni Morrison, Philip Roth, Martin Amis and Hilary Mantel. The 'living' are the passions that keep her going, from literature and music to cities and relationships. La Razón reports that the collection includes obituary essays on figures such as Philip Roth and Joan Didion, as well as pieces on technology, the Trump era and the Gaza conflict.
Personal stories ground abstract ideas in lived experience. Smith recalls nearly falling from a rooftop and credits her own body size with helping her survive. She also revisits the memory of a former boyfriend who later committed a violent crime. These stories are not confessions for their own sake, but attempts to get closer to difficult realities.
Politics is more present here than in Smith's earlier work. Even essays about art or pop culture reflect her concern for social issues. The debate around her piece 'Shibolet', first published in The New Yorker, illustrates her approach: she stands by her beliefs but remains willing to reconsider them, especially on complex topics such as pro-Palestinian protests. For Smith, ambiguity is impressive to the essay, not merely permissible.
Smith also examines technology and its effects on attention and polarization. She is clear about the downsides of digital distraction, but argues that attention, empathy and imagination offer ways to push back. Her writing is direct and accessible, making even difficult subjects easier to approach.
Smith makes no promise of closure. Readers may finish the book with as many questions as they started with, yet come away more alert and attentive. This willingness to stay with uncertainty and avoid easy conclusions gives Muertos y vivos its strength. In a time of quick takes and rigid opinions, Smith's openness to doubt feels rare and necessary.
Smith's approach matters to anyone interested in the essay's role in contemporary literature. She avoids easy conclusions, stays open to change and values emotional honesty over ideology. Muertos y vivos invites readers to think and question alongside its author. In a climate that often rewards certainty, Smith suggests that honest writing often begins in uncertainty.
