I'm Telling the Truth but I'm Lying
2019 memoir by Bassey Ikpi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I'm Telling the Truth but I'm Lying is a memoir by Nigerian spoken word artist Bassey Ikpi published by Harper Perennial an imprint of HarperCollins in 2019.[1][2]
| |
| Author | Bassey Ikpi |
|---|---|
| Genre | Memoir |
| Publisher | Harper Perennial |
| Publication date | 2019 |
Plot
The book is described as "a deep personal work that chronicles the Nigerian-American author's life living with bipolar II disorder and anxiety, and a woman of color and combating the stigma surrounding it."[3] The essays cover her difficulties as a young child re-locating from Nigeria to America, struggling with household tensions, depression and hospitalization, leading up to her eventual diagnosis of and treatment for bipolar II disorder.[4]
Development
On May 4, 2017, it was announced that her first book, a memoir titled Making Friends With Giants would be published by Harper Perennial in 2018.[3] The book, eventually renamed I'm Telling the Truth But I'm Lying was published in August 2019.
Reception
The book became a New York Times bestseller.[5] Essence described it as a "stunning essay collection".[4] Kola Tubosun calls it "a kind of map for those interested in learning about how mental illness affects people."[6]