Polly Samson discusses her spellbinding new novel and the explosive potential of artistic communities.
This event is available to view as a recording until 13 June. Tickets can be purchased below.
1960. The world is dancing on the edge of revolution, and nowhere more so than on the Greek island of Hydra, where a circle of poets, painters and musicians live tangled lives, ruled by the writers Charmian Clift and George Johnston, troubled king and queen of bohemia. Within this circle is a triangle: its points the magnetic, destructive writer Axel Jensen, his dazzling wife Marianne Ihlen, and a young Canadian poet named Leonard Cohen.
Acclaimed novelist Polly Samson speaks to novelist and journalist Edward Docx about her spellbinding new novel, utopian dreams, the wars waged between men and women on the battlegrounds of genius and the explosive, and sometimes implosive, potential of artistic communities. The discussion will be interwoven with music from David Gilmour and Romany Gilmour.
—
Polly Samson is the author of two short story collections and two previous novels. Her work has been shortlisted for numerous prizes, translated into several languages and has been dramatised on BBC Radio 4. Her novel The Kindness was named Book of the Year by The Times and Observer. She has written lyrics for four No.1 albums, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Edward Docx is the author of four critically acclaimed novels: The Calligrapher, Self Help – which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, The Devil’s Garden and Let Go My Hand. His journalism has appeared in The Guardian, Prospect and New Statesman.
—
Purchase Tickets
Tickets cost £5 or buy a £25 Festival Pass for access to all festival event recordings.
If you have a Festival Pass code or discount code please enter it in the ‘promo code’ area below and press ‘apply’ and you will see your hidden discounts.
Your link will be sent to you via Eventbrite. If you do not receive it, please check your junk file or email litfest@londonlibrary.co.uk. Please note the event starts with a slide show listing the festival events which lasts approx. 1 minute.
Transcription for this event will be available soon.
Ticket holders will receive a 10% discount to buy all festival books from Hatchards until 13 June with their ticket.