State of the Art

How is fiction evolving with our times? Is the novel a vulnerable art or more vital than ever? Could AI one day pen a masterpiece or do our storytellers guard an inimitable craft? Join some of the leading names in literature today – Eleanor Catton, Richard Flanagan, Tracey Lien and Colson Whitehead – for a lively discussion about the state of the novel and the future of fiction. They are joined in conversation by ABC RN’s The Bookshelf’s Kate Evans.

A Sydney Writers’ Festival Live & Local Livestream event.

ABOUT ELEANOR CATTON

Eleanor Catton is the author of The Luminaries (Granta, 2013), winner of the Man Booker Prize and the Governor General’s Literary Award and an international bestseller. Her debut novel, The Rehearsal (Granta, 2009), won the Betty Trask Prize, was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and the Dylan Thomas Prize, and longlisted for the Orange Prize. As a screenwriter, she adapted The Luminaries for television, and Jane Austen’s Emma for feature film. Born in 1985 in Canada and raised in New Zealand, she now lives in Cambridge, England. Her most recent book Birnam Wood is out now.

ABOUT RICHARD FLANAGAN

Richard Flanagan’s novels have received numerous honours and are published in 42 countries. He won the Booker Prize for The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

ABOUT TRACEY LIEN

Tracey Lien was born and raised in southwestern Sydney, Australia. She earned her MFA at the University of Kansas and was previously a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. All That’s Left Unsaid is her first novel.

ABOUT COLSON WHITEHEAD

Colson Whitehead is the author of 11 books of fiction and non-fiction, including The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, both of which were awarded the Pulitzer Prize. His latest novel is Harlem Shuffle.

ABOUT KATE EVANS

Kate Evans presents The Bookshelf on ABC Radio National (with co-host Cassie McCullagh). She has a PhD in history, too many books, and a tendency to over use post-it notes for fear of forgetting a beautifully-turned phrase.