Literary Calendar
Events for October 7, 2014 through October 27, 2014
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Slavoj Žižek at the Southbank Centre
Slavoj Žižek is today’s most controversial public intellectual. His work traverses the fields of philosophy, psychoanalysis, theology, history and political theory. It takes in film, popular culture, and literature to provide acute analyses of the complexities of contemporary ideology as well as a serious and sophisticated examination of the world around us. In this special event, he tackles the future of liberty, freedom and democracy: what do they mean in a world post-Arab Spring, WikiLeaks, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden?&hellip
Polari First Book Prize, Southbank Centre
The fourth annual prize celebrating debut LGBT authors, kindly sponsored by Société Générale UK LGBT network. Join award-winning writer Ali Smith and winner of The Polari First Book Prize 2013, Mari Hannah. The evening also features Will Davies, Karen Mcleod and Justin David. More information
Alice Oswald at the Southbank Centre
The world premiere of a specially commissioned new poem, read by the poet herself. In Greek mythology, the Dawn fell in love with Tithonus and asked Zeus to make him immortal, but she forgot to ask that he should not grow old. Unable to die, he grew older and older, until at last Dawn locked him in a room where, several thousand years later, he still sits babbling to himself. This is an account of his babbling, written in real&hellip
Hilary Mantel at the Southbank Centre
Hilary Mantel is one of Britain’s most accomplished, acclaimed and garlanded writers. Uniquely, her last two novels won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. In this new collection of ten stories, all her gifts of characterisation, observation and intelligence are once again fully on display. With settings ranging from Saudi Arabia to Greece to London, they reveal a great writer at the peak of her powers. Hilary reads from the collection and is in conversation with James Runcie, Southbank Centre’s&hellip
Sophie Hannah and Stephanie Merritt on Hercule Poirot, Kings Place
Acclaimed thriller-writer Sophie Hannah talks to Stephanie Merritt (novelist SJ Parris) about her passion for Agatha Christie and how she was inspired to make Hercule Poirot her own hero More information
Africa39 at the Southbank Centre
The Africa39 anthology showcases the most promising voices from Africa south of the Sahara. Clifton Gachagua (Kenya), Nadifa Mohamed (Somalia) and Stanley Kenani (Malawi) talk about their work with the Africa39 anthology editor Ellah Allfrey and discuss the creativity and amazing writing from their region. They are part of a selection of 39 promising writers under 40 from Africa south of the Sahara and diaspora. The Africa39 project was created by the Hay Festival and UNESCO Port Harcourt World Book&hellip
Elif Shafak on The Architect’s Apprentice, Southbank Centre
A preview of a sweeping and magical new novel from Elif Shafak. The Architect’s Apprentice is set in a 16th-century Istanbul bursting with colour, romance and white elephants. Elif Shafak is the acclaimed author of The Bastard of Istanbul andThe Forty Rules of Love and is the most widely read female novelist in Turkey. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages. She is a contributor to The Telegraph, The Guardian and The New York Times and her TED talk on the&hellip
Man Booker Prize 2014 readings, Southbank Centre
Readings and conversations about the shortlisted books for The Man Booker Prize. The prize is the world’s most important literary award and has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and publishers. The Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2014 is chaired by AC Grayling. The judges are Jonathan Bate, Sarah Churchwell, Dr Alastair Niven, Dr Daniel Glaser and Erica Wagner. The Man Booker Prize shortlist 2014: To Rise Again At a Decent Hour (Joshua Ferris) The Narrow Road to the&hellip
Sebastian Faulks at Kings Place
Revisiting his novel Human Traces, the story of two psychiatrists at the beginning of the twentieth century, Sebastian Faulks explores the question of what kind of beings men and women really are. More information