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ANDREW KEEN Why the internet might still not be the answer
JURA UNBOUND: FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT Bethnal Green spoken word night heads north EMILY ST JOHN MANDEL Literary noir author moves into dystopian fiction
To those who spend most of their time either head bowed, leaning into a tablet or slouched in front of their home PC, the title of Andrew Keen’s latest non-fiction study is a challenge to their entire ethos. The Internet is Not the Answer might lead to this Anglo-American author being dismissed as a weird crypto-Luddite type, but it should be noted that Keen is a strong advocate of the online world: he’s just not a fan of its current configuration. For him, the problem is that the internet is not the democratic, equality-seeking force it’s often painted as being (especially on the occasions in recent times when people have risen up against tyrannical governments for revolutions partly triggered by digital communication).
The ability of states to spy on people not just in their own backyards but across the globe is now well acknowledged, but Keen also points out that individuals are being dumped onto the economic scrapheap in vast numbers while only the very few are able to feast on the vast wealth being created. Keen will address this desperate situation in Edinburgh, but whether the solutions are out there remains to be seen. (Brian Donaldson) ■ Charlotte Square Gardens, 0845 373 5888, 26 Aug, 8.45pm, £10 (£8).
The idea behind Homework – the literary cabaret night held at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club – is simple: seven key writers and performers present a monthly piece of ‘homework’ around the same theme. For their Edinburgh foray, the theme is liberty and social freedoms. But, as co-founder Luke Wright explains, the night isn’t overtly political.
‘Spoken word is good for speaking out about
social issues,’ he says, ‘but the danger is that you end up playing to the gallery. We’re not really ranters – we confront in stranger, more offbeat ways.’
This show will present a full Homework house: Ross Sutherland, Katie Bonna, John Osborne, Joe Dunthorne (pictured), Tim Clare, Molly Naylor and Wright. ‘We all started out as poets,’ Wright says, ‘but we’re branching out. John and Molly’s sitcom will be on Sky 1 this autumn, Joe and Tim have written novels, Ross is making films, Katie is writing a film and I’ve just written a play [What I Learned from Johnny Bevan at Sumerhall, see review page 88.].
‘We’ll be writing down to the wire. It might be a little shambolic but I have a feeling there will be some gems in there.’ (David Pollock) ■ Charlotte Square Gardens, 0845 373 5888, 22 Aug, 9pm, free.
Emily St John Mandel’s first three novels were all literary noir and well received by the critics. However, she broke the mould with her fourth novel. And so Station Eleven was born: a dystopian work of fiction that took her in a new direction.
It follows a band of actors after a flu virus kills off 99% of the world’s inhabitants, exploring the value of art and theatre, as well as the role of technology in society, while considering how humanity would change and adapt if it had to start again.
‘It seemed like a good moment to try something entirely different,’ Mandel says. ‘I was also interested in writing about the modern world, the spectacular infrastructure of technology that surrounds us. And of course one way to contemplate something is to consider its absence, which is why I set much of the book in a post- apocalyptic landscape.’
Mandel is looking forward to appearing at the Book Festival, where she’ll be discussing the novel alongside fellow writer Catherine Chanter. ‘Generally speaking,’ she says, ‘live audiences are there because they liked the book, so they’re overwhelmingly positive.’ (Rebecca Monks) ■ Charlotte Square Gardens, 0845 373 5888, 24 Aug, 8.45pm, £7 (£5).
JANICE GALLOWAY Exploring two of life’s greatest human experiences: having sex and having children
Since the release of The Trick is to Keep Breathing in the late 80s, Janice Galloway has made a huge impact on the literary world. That modern classic is considered to be one of the most accurate portrayals of depression in contemporary literature.
Motivated by beauty, Galloway says she is also inspired by ‘how extraordinary everything is the more you think about it’. Her latest short collection, Jellyfish, alternates between slim tales about sex or sexual chemistry, and longer stories concentrating on ‘the hugeness of rearing children’. Since All Made Up came out in 2011, the 59-year-old has spent
time travelling in New Zealand and Eastern Europe. Back on home soil, she’s looking forward to her appearance at the Book Festival: ‘Do you realise how little I go out?!’
Galloway writes about life’s experiences – love, separation, depression, death. She creates female protagonists that awaken and empower. And she doesn’t hold back when it comes to the issue of gender equality.
‘Do you listen to the news on the World Service? Check the current US and Northern Irish stance on abortion, the general regard for the horror that is FGM and women’s health issues, the horror that is rape in war . . . the fact that Penguin’s utterly wonderful collection of 80 beautiful books in the series Great Ideas has only three women from the whole history of writing.’
A self-confessed introvert, Galloway has no plans to put down her pen, but there have been times that she’s been tempted to give it all up. ‘Discouragement is pressure – even a challenge to stop! A direct response that is positive helps me to keep having another go.’ It’s that fighting spirit that we love about her. (Tina Koenig) ■ Charlotte Square Gardens, 0845 373 5888, 20 Aug, 11.45am, £10 (£8).
20–31 Aug 2015 THE LIST FESTIVAL 31