This event takes place on Crowdcast, Charis' virtual event platform. This event is free, but registration is required for virtual attendance. 

Charis welcomes Yrsa Daley-Ward in conversation with Tina Leung for a discussion of The Catch, a darkly whimsical tale of women daring to live and create with impunity. Yrsa will be introduced by Glory Edim, who acquired The Catch for the Well-Read Black Girl series in partnership with Liveright Publishing.

Twin sisters Clara and Dempsey have always struggled to relate, their familial bond severed after their mother vanished into the Thames. As infants they were adopted into different families, Clara sent to live with a successful, upper-class couple, and Dempsey with a sullen, unaffectionate city councilor. In adulthood, they are content to be all but estranged, until Clara sees a woman who looks exactly like their mother on the streets of London. The catch: this version of Serene, aged not a day, has enjoyed a childless life—the very life, it seems, she might have had if the girls had never been born.

As with most things, Clara and Dempsey cannot see eye to eye on the confounding appearance of this woman. Clara, a celebrity author with a penchant for excessive drinking and one-night stands, is all too willing to welcome the confident and temperamental Serene into her home. But cloistered Dempsey, who makes a modest living doing menial data entry work from the confines of her apartment, is dubious of the whole situation, believing this all to be the insidious ruse of a con woman. Clashing over this stranger who burrows deeper and deeper into their lives, the sisters hurtle toward an altercation that threatens their very existence, forcing them to finally confront their pasts—together.

In her riveting first foray into fiction, Yrsa Daley-Ward conjures a kaleidoscopic multiverse of daughterhood and mother-want, exploring the sacrifices that women must make for self-actualization. The result is a marvel of a debut novel that boldly asks, “How can it ever, ever be a crime to choose yourself?”

Yrsa Daley-Ward is a poet, writer, and actress. She is the author of The How, bone, and The Terrible, for which she won the PEN Ackerley Prize. She lives in Los Angeles. The Catch is her debut novel.

Tina Leung is a multihyphenate known for her vibrant aesthetic and keen eye. With a background in styling, she has worked with numerous high-profile brands and magazines. Tina is also recognized for her engaging social media presence, where she shares her unique style and travel adventures. She has built a loyal following by promoting inclusivity and diversity in the fashion industry. Tina and her friends Prabal Gurung, Laura Kim, Phillip Lim, and Ezra William created House of Slay during the lockdown—an advocacy group for the AANHPI community with a mission to amplify the voices, visibility, and representation of the diaspora and beyond. In addition to her work in fashion, Tina is an advocate for mental health awareness and women’s rights. She curated and edited Bulgari’s tome Magnifica: The Power Women Hold in 2021, balancing glamour with stories steeped in women’s empowerment. She starred in the reality series Bling Empire New York and was a fan favorite for her vulnerability. Her dynamic approach to fashion and life continues to inspire many around the world.

Glory Edim is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a podcast and digital literacy platform that celebrates the uniqueness of Black literature and sisterhood. She edited the Well-Read Black Girl anthology, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and named a best book of the year by Library Journal. Her book On Girlhood is a collection of groundbreaking short stories that explore the thin yet imperative line between Black girlhood and womanhood. The winner of the Innovator's Award from the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes, Edim worked as a cultural practitioner for over ten years and serves on the board of Baldwin for the Arts. Her memoir, Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books  That Saved Me, was released in 2024. She resides in Washington D.C. with her son, Zikomo.

The event is free and open to all people, but we encourage and appreciate a donation of $5-20 in support of the work of Charis Circle, our programming non-profit. Donate on Crowdcast or via our website: www.chariscircle.org/donate.

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The Catch: Yrsa Daley-Ward in conversation with Tina Leung