PORTRAITS OF INSPIRATION

Seven writers with books coming out in the first months of the new year share their thoughts about creativity, the transformative power of writing, and the infinite potential of the literary imagination.

Seven writers with books coming out in the first months of the new year—Sally Wen Mao, Hanif Abdurraqib, Morgan Parker, Esmé Weijun Wang, Ross Gay, Yiyun Li, and Chigozie Obioma—share their thoughts about creativity, the transformative power of writing, and the infinite potential of the literary imagination.

Photographs by Yuan Lu, Kate Sweeney, Kwesi Abbensetts, Jacquelyn Tierney, Natasha Komoda, Agence Opale, and Zach Mueller.