Part of Book at Lunchtime, a fortnightly series of bite size book discussions, with commentators from a range of disciplines. Free, all welcome - no booking required. Join us for a sandwich lunch from 12:30, with discussion from 13:00 to 13:45.
Iain Pears (Novelist, Art Historian and Journalist) will discuss his new book Arcadia with:
Sophie Ratcliffe (Fellow and Tutor in English, University of Oxford)
Emily Short (Interactive Fiction Writer)
Richard Beard (Author and Director of the National Academy of Writing)
The discussion will be introduced and chaired by Alex Butterworth (Historian, Producer and Cross-Media Author).
About the book
A captivating adventure story with huge heart and dazzling imaginative power, from the bestselling author of An Instance of the Fingerpost. Three interlocking worlds. Four people looking for answers. But who controls the future – or the past? In the basement of a professor's house in 1960s Oxford, fifteen-year-old Rosie goes in search of a missing cat – and instead finds herself in a different world. Anterwold is a sun-drenched land of storytellers, prophecies and ritual. But is this world real – and what happens if she decides to stay? Meanwhile, in a sterile laboratory, a rebellious scientist is trying to prove that time does not even exist – with potentially devastating consequences.
'A fantastical extravaganza' Steven Poole, The Guardian
'A near-perfect take on the perils of a parallel universe. Treat this novel, and its app, as a meme-park where a whole menagerie of tropes, themes, myths and motifs from centuries of fantasy and romance can frolic.' The Independent
Free and all welcome. No advance booking required, please just come along and seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Humanities & the Digital Age
Contact name: Hannah Penny
Contact email: hannah.penny@humanities.ox.ac.uk
Audience: Open to all
