Key themes
- The friendship between talented and untalented — and the particular cruelty of this divide
- Race, music and the ownership of cultural form
- The class betrayal of education and aspiration
About this book
Two mixed-race girls grow up in north-west London dreaming of dance — one talented, one not. Their friendship is the heart of the novel, which follows them into adulthood, across countries and into very different lives. Smith's fifth novel is her most ambitious structurally, moving through time and place to examine art, ambition, friendship and the ways race and class shape what's available to us.
Published in 2016, Swing Time was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction (unusual for a novel) and received Smith's most mixed critical reception. She has described it as her most personally significant book.
Discussion questions
- The narrator is never named. What does Smith achieve with this anonymity — and how does it relate to her themes of identity and performance?
- The narrator and Tracey grow up together but their lives diverge completely. What is Smith saying about the relationship between talent and destiny — and about who gets opportunities?
- The Madonna-like pop star Aimee employs the narrator and takes her to Africa. What is Smith doing with this relationship — between the celebrity who means well and the assistant who watches?
- Swing Time moves between three timelines and two continents. How does Smith manage this complexity — and what does the structure say about the relationship between past and present self?
- The novel has been criticised for its length and its multiple settings. How do you feel about the scope — does it serve Smith's ambitions, or does it work against intimacy?
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