The 21st-century novel : notes from the Edinburgh World Writers' Conference / edited by Jonathan Bastable and Hannah Mcgill.

Format:

Book

Conference/Event

Contributor:

Bastable, Jonathan, editor.

McGill, Hannah, editor.

Conference Name:

Edinburgh World Writers' Conference (2012 : Edinburgh)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Literature, Modern--21st century--History and criticism--Congresses.

Literature, Modern.

Genre:

Conference papers and proceedings.

Physical Description:

352 pages ; 24 cm

Other Title:

Twenty-first-century novel

Place of Publication:

Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, 2014.

Summary:

In 2012-2013, a year-long conversation between writers took place at 16 literary festivals around the world, from Jaipur to Krasnoyarsk, and from Melbourne to Berlin. Distinguished novelists such as Irvine Welsh, Ahdaf Soueif and Ali Smith shared their thoughts on various aspects of contemporary literature - the challenges it faces and the directions it is taking. This book is in part an anthology of the best of those accounts and also an overview of the lively wide-ranging global debate that the authors' views engendered among the many writers who took part. It adds up to an arresting and thought-provoking picture of the state of world literature today. Key Features A powerful statement of the significance of literature in the modem world, and a call-to-arms for those who believe that fine writing is endangered, Contributors include well-known, contemporary novelists such as: China Mieville, Ahdaf Soueif, Kapka Kassabova, Irvine Welsh, Ali Smith and Kirsty Curat, Provides an international perspective on the issues facing writers and writing, in general, and the present-day novel in particular, A new and valuable resource for academics and students, and a fascinating primer for a wider readership - for those who want to know how fiction functions & who like to get an insight into the thought processes of creative artists Book jacket.

Contents:

The Future of the Novel

Introduction: Modernity and Machinery / Hannah McGill McGill, Hannah 29

Keynote: The Autonovelator / China Mieville Mieville, China 40

Discussion: The Protean Genre 47

Keynote: After the Novelist / Teju Cole Cole, Teju 50

Discussion: Twitter Storms 54

Keynote: Escape to the Big Time / Georg Klein Klein, Georg 60

Discussion: Enemies of the Novel 66

Keynote: A New Age of Fiction / Michelle Bris Bris, Michelle 72

Discussion: Reasons to Be Hopeful 80

Keynote: A Shred of Objectivity / Li Er Er, Li 85

Discussion: Questions of Ownership 88

Keynote: Egypt Rising / Sahar El Mougy Mougy, Sahar El 93

Should Literature Be Political?

Introduction: Nailing the Important Stuff / Hannah McGill McGill, Hannah 99

Keynote: The Great Narrative of the World / Ahdaf Soueif Soueif, Ahdaf 104

Discussion: Politics on the Page 107

Keynote: Weapons of Struggle / Njabulo Ndebele Ndebele, Njabulo 112

Discussion: Game-Changing Books 116

Keynote: The Power and the Story / Melvin Burgess Burgess, Melvin 120

Discussion: The Russian Dimension 124

Keynote: The Heart of a Heartless World / Amanda Lohrey Lohrey, Amanda 128

Discussion: The Impotent Text 134

Keynote: Words as a Pledge / Atiq Rahimi Rahimi, Atiq 139

Discussion: On Ambiguity / Benjamin Markovits Markovits, Benjamin 144

Keynote: Big 'p' and Little 'P' / Olive Senior Senior, Olive 147

Discussion: When is a Book Political? 151

Keynote: The State Fell, the Poem Ruled / Tamim Al-Barchouti Al-Barchouti, Tamim 155

Censorship Today

Introduction: Engines of Silence / Hannah McGill McGill, Hannah 165

Keynote: Voices of Unreason / Boualem Sansal Sansal, Boualem 170

Discussion: Speaking Freely 173

Keynote: The Censors within / Patrick Ness Ness, Patrick 178

Discussion: Everything Is Permitted 183

Keynote: The Gatekeepers / Keith Gray Gray, Keith 187

Discussion: On Taking Offence 194

Keynote: A Death Penalty for Thought / Emmanuel Dongala Dongala, Emmanuel 197

Discussion: Sousveillers and Fifty-Centers 203

Keynote: The Whale on the Rock / Larissa Behrendt Behrendt, Larissa 206

A National Literature

Introduction Marking Your Territory / Hannah McGill McGill, Hannah 215

Keynote: Negotiations against Difference / Irvine Welsh Welsh, Irvine 222

Discussion: Brit Lit 228

Keynote: Allochthoon Autochtoon / Rachida Lamrabet Lamrabet, Rachida 234

Discussion: Words of War / Vilibor Colic Colic, Vilibor 238

Keynote: Serve the Story / Miriam Toews Toews, Miriam 242

Discussion: Writers as Nation-Builders 248

Keynote: Writing Across Boundaries / Anjali Joseph Joseph, Anjali 252

Discussion: News from Elsewhere 256

Keynote: On the African Novel / Helon Habila Habila, Helon 260

Discussion: Lingua Franca / Alain Mabanckou Mabanckou, Alain 268

Keynote: Categorisation is Reductive / Marlon James James, Marlon 272

Discussion: Above the Barriers 276

Keynote: Citizens of the Cosmopolis / Kapka Kassabova Kassabova, Kapka 279

Style Versus Content

Introduction: Reading the Reader / Hannah McGill McGill, Hannah 285

Keynote: 'Fight! Fight! Fight!' / Ali Smith Smith, Ali 290

Discussion: Thoughts Clothing 218

Keynote: The Lao of Writing / Sophie Cooke Cooke, Sophie 302

Discussion: Voice, Gate Watermark 308

Keynote: On Form / Kirsty Gunn Gunn, Kirsty 310

Discussion: You've Either Got, Or You Haven't Got... 316

Keynote: The Feeling of the World / Hubert Haddad Haddad, Hubert 319.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 334-341) and index.

ISBN:

9780748698349

0748698345

OCLC:

881207063