

#8032
Mentioned in 4 episodes
White Teeth
Book • 2000
White Teeth is Zadie Smith's debut novel, published in 2000.
The book focuses on the later lives of two wartime friends—the Bangladeshi Samad Iqbal and the Englishman Archie Jones—and their families in London.
It spans over 50 years, detailing the trials and tribulations of their families and exploring Britain's relationship with immigrants from the British Commonwealth.
The novel addresses themes of identity, race, and the complexities of multiculturalism, and it is known for its vivid characters, humor, and strong narrative structure.
The book focuses on the later lives of two wartime friends—the Bangladeshi Samad Iqbal and the Englishman Archie Jones—and their families in London.
It spans over 50 years, detailing the trials and tribulations of their families and exploring Britain's relationship with immigrants from the British Commonwealth.
The novel addresses themes of identity, race, and the complexities of multiculturalism, and it is known for its vivid characters, humor, and strong narrative structure.
Mentioned by



















Mentioned in 4 episodes
Mentioned by 

, referencing its theme of perceptions about teeth whiteness between different races.


Michael Malice

42 snips
Melissa Chen - Episode #347
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

, referring to a letter Zadie Smith wrote before writing 'White Teeth'.

Annabel Crabb

19 snips
Ep 264 - Writers Revealed
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in the context of her own writing career and the year she published her first novel.

Zadie Smith

Fashion Neurosis with Zadie Smith
Mentioned as the first novel 

encountered with diverse characters, reflecting her upbringing.


Lisa Lucas

The Sunday Read: ‘Inside the Push to Diversify the Book Business’
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as ![undefined]()

's debut novel, celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Andrew Limbong

Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith looks back at her debut novel 'White Teeth' 25 years after its release
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as another author whose work was published around the same time as 'Never Let Me Go'.

Tom Gatti

Why we can't let go of Never Let Me Go
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as the topic of an upcoming World Book Club episode.

Harriett Gilbert

Kazuo Ishiguro
Mentioned by 

as one of ![undefined]()

's novels, alongside Swing Time and On Beauty.


Ezra Klein

Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith on Populists, Frauds and Flip Phones
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as a book that rewrites Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.

Tabish Khair

Tabish Khair, "Literature Against Fundamentalism" (Oxford UP, 2024)
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as the first book she chose to read as an adult, sparking her interest in Penguin Books.

Zainab Juma

How Penguin Books turned the UK into a nation of readers
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and ![undefined]()

in a discussion about Zadie Smith's absence from the Iconic 400.

Matt Rogers

Bowen Yang

"A Dárqueness But A Charm" (w/ Matt & Bowen)
Mentioned by 

as a book iconic for the 2000s.


Brian Lehrer

100 Years of 100 Things: Best Sellers
Mentioned by 

as a book similar to The Satanic Verses, but with the causality going the other way.


Ezra Klein

Best Of: Salman Rushdie Is Not Who You Think He Is
Mentioned by 

as one of Zadie Smith's novels.


Deborah Treisman

Edwidge Danticat Reads Zadie Smith