BARRY UNSWORTH
Historical novelist dealing in timeless themes
Barry Unsworth has quite a track record. Since his first novel (1966’s The Partnership), the Northumbrian novelist has won the Heinemann award for Mooncranker’s Gift, been nominated for the Booker Prize twice (for Morality Play and Pascali’s Island) and won it once, with 1991 ‘5 Sacred Hunger. His novels have explored 14th century England, the slave trade, the Napoleonic era
and classical Greece.
But Unsworth. speaking from his home in Italy, claims not to be a historical novelist per se. ‘I started writing contemporary fiction and to my mind, my novels aren’t limited to a historical period; they’re interesting to us today. They’re not historical in that my first interest is not in the creation of period, it’s in universal themes. Living outside of England I don’t see as much of everyday contemporary British life, and I’m not so confident when it comes to
contemporary sensibility. With a more distant focus I can ignore all that clutter.’
The Songs of the Kings, Unsworth’s latest novel, is a stark. powerful retelling of one of the Iliad’s more unpleasant episodes: when Agamemnon chose to sacrifice his daughter lphigeneia to ensure his fleet’s safe passage to Troy. The book marries modern concerns with flawed Homeric heroes. ‘lt’s about the misuse, abuse and distortion of language for political reasons,‘ says Unsworth. ‘The singer [who advises Agamemnon] is independent and corrupted and venal; and for me, that’s a fair summary of the media.’
Unsworth’s visit to Edinburgh represents a rare return to Britain’s shores. He’s looking forward to the trip, but claims to have little idea of what, precisely, he'll be talking about. ‘My most recent novel came out in September, quite a while ago, so I’ll presumably be talking about that. But I’ve written quite a few novels from start to finish, so I don’t know. I don't plan what I’m going to say at all. I assume the audience are interested in what I’m saying, that they will have read the books. There will be someone there to discuss things with, so there‘s no point preparing; who knows what will come up? I’ve talked a lot about my books so it now comes as something of a reflex action.’ (James Stubbs)
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Neil Astley & Des Dillon 70.30am), 5 1' (5‘5). Astlc/ .‘J'r‘tf:f‘ Heal POO/Hf, for Heal lrvei, at; the nutrtrtie to hrf; Blr/rtaxe collectron Staying A/rve goeu. And tt‘ 2 If; what we had to 3:1, ah', rt [)HIC’” wrtehy corned/ S‘r/ [flank (,‘and/e', ‘rnore about farnrly tref. and e xeryda/ Irle than the supernatural, “HS “1?: heirevahle story full of hurnanrt/ arrl hurnour'