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"Extraordinary ... a legal thriller, full of energy and compassion ... [and] a damning portrait of how we feed ourselves ..."

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"Beautifully written, impeccably researched, and told with the air of suspense that few writers can handle, Wastelands is a story I wish I had written."

                                            — JOHN GRISHAM

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The Story Behind the Stories

In the summer of 2008, while I was practicing law and writing books no one wanted to publish, I had an idea for a novel that would open doors long closed to me and inaugurate my journey as an author. 

First published in 2012, A Walk Across the Sun went on to be an international bestseller and inspired a multi-year odyssey of travel and research that gave rise to three more novels like it, all deeply steeped in the truth of the world and addressing issues of global human rights.

For years, friends encouraged me to try my hand at nonfiction. "Your books already read like it," they said. I told them, "Find me a true story that I can write with the narrative tension and emotional intimacy of a novel and that will captivate readers from the first page to the last, and I'll tell it."

Wastelands is that story. I hope to write many more like it.

Story
Books
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What Readers Are Saying

"In Wastelands, Addison turns a novelist's eye to the thorny complexities of a real legal case. The prose is lyrical, the cast of characters jump to life on the page, and the result is a captivating account of how a small group of citizens bring a huge corporation to justice."

JONATHAN HARR

#1 National Bestselling Author of A Civil Action

Reviews
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Events

  • Keynote Address (Houston, TX)
    Fri, Apr 14
    University of Houston Honors College
    Corban will give a keynote address about Wastelands at the "Pathways to Equity and the Dynamics of Change" event at the University of Houston Honors College in Houston, Texas.
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  • Day of Authors (Fullerton, CA)
    Sat, Apr 22
    Cal State Fullerton
    Corban will join a roundtable of authors at ALPHA's annual Day of Authors event at Cal State Fullerton. Corban will lead a morning breakout session about Wastelands and participate in an afternoon panel discussion about storytelling and the writing life.
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  • A Conversation about Wastelands (Warrenton, VA)
    Fri, May 05
    The Open Book
    Join Corban for a conversation about Wastelands, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility, co-sponsored by Latitudes Fair Trade Store.
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  • Carolina Mountain Literary Festival (Burnsville, NC)
    Fri, Sep 08
    Burnsville, NC
    Corban will give two talks about Wastelands at the Carolina Mountain Literary Festival, the first on Friday, September 8, and the second on Saturday, September 9. The location and start time for the talks will be announced closer to the date.
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Events
Photos
Elsie Herring, Duplin County, NC (Wastelands)
Elsie's Home in Duplin County (Wastelands)
Violet Branch, Duplin County, NC (Wastelands)
Woodell McGowan, Duplin County, NC (Wastelands)
The Founders of Smithfield Foods, Smithfield, VA (Wastelands)
An Industrial Hog Operation from Above (Wastelands)
Flying in Hog Country with Rick Dove (Wastelands)
A Sprayfield in Hog Country (Wastelands)
Tom Butler's Farm, Harnett County, NC (Wastelands)
Inside a Hog Barn
Tom Butler on Covered Lagoon (Wastelands)
Backpacking with Mike Kaeske (Wastelands)
Hiking in Cedar Mesa with Mike Kaeske (Wastelands)
Mona Lisa Wallace, Mike Kaeske and the Hog Farm Legal Team
Sunrise over Malaysia (Harvest)
Bangladeshi Worker in Malaysia (Harvest)
Bangladeshi Workers in Malaysia (Harvest)
Tazreen Fashions Factory, Dhaka, Bangladesh (Harvest)
Survivors of Tazreen Fire, Dhaka, Bangladesh (Harvest)
Garment Factory, Bangladesh (Harvest)
Streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh (Harvest)
Garment Worker and Children, Dhaka, Bangladesh (Harvest)
Amman, Jordan in Spring (Harvest)
Mount Nebo, Jordan (Harvest)
Boa Vista, Cape Verde (Harvest)
Male, Seychelles (Tears)
La Digue, Seychelles (Tears)
USS Truman in Arabian Sea (Tears)
USS Gettysburg, Arabian Sea (Tears)
USS Gettysburg, Persian Gulf (Tears)
Mogadishu, Somalia (Tears)
AMISOM Convoy, Mogadishu, Somalia (Tears)
Leadership at Hawa Abdi Village, Somalia (Tears)
Refugee Camp, Hawa Abdi Village, Somalia (Tears)
AMISOM Convoy, Hawa Abdi Village, Somalia (Tears)
Somali Refugee, Dadaab, Kenya (Tears)
Somali Aid Worker, Dadaab, Kenya (Tears)
Termite Mound, Dadaab, Kenya (Tears)
UN Convoy, Dadaab, Kenya (Tears)
School, Lusaka, Zambia (Garden)
Aid Worker, Lusaka, Zambia (Garden)
Aid Workers, Lusaka, Zambia (Garden)
Friends, Livingstone, Zambia (Garden)
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe (Garden)
Zambezi River, Zambia (Garden)
Aid Workers and Children, Johannesburg, South Africa (Garden)
Cape Town, South Africa (Garden)
Mumbai, India at Night (Walk)
Grant Road Brothels, Mumbai (Walk)
Train, Mumbai, India (Walk)
Mumbai Cityscape (Walk)
Goa, India (Walk)
Fishing Boat, Goa (Walk)
Rickshaw, Mumbai, India (Walk)
Festival of Holi, Mumbai, India (Walk)
South Mumbai Skyline (Walk)
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Contact

For media and publicity inquiries, please contact Abigail Endler at Alfred A. Knopf:

To invite Corban to speak at an event, please contact Kim Thornton Ingenito at the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau:

To send Corban a message or to invite him to a virtual discussion with your book club, please use the contact form below:

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To receive periodic updates from Corban, please submit your email address below:

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Photos
Contact
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