New York Times Writer to Watch Zain Khalid joins us to discuss his genre-defying debut novel, Brother Alive. In conversation with Fathima Cader.

In this story about family, sexuality, and capitalist systems of control, Youssef shares everything with his three adopted brothers and their imam father, except for one secret: he sees a hallucinatory double, an imaginary friend who seems absolutely real, a shapeshifting familiar he calls Brother. Brother persists as a companion into Youssef’s adult life, supporting him but also stealing his memories and shaking his grip on the world.

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Zain Khalid: Brother Alive