Pride or Prejudice: How we Read Now

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Pride or Prejudice: How we Read Now: Writing Novels

Writing Novels

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Professor Abigail Williams explores changing views of the novel.

Professor Abigail Williams asks how we read now, as offence, outrage and the prejudices of authors past and present dominate the literary landscape.

Novels have always sparked controversy. Lady Chatterley's Lover, Lolita and  American Psycho were all subject to fierce attacks.

But something is happening now that feels different - a rolling boil of social media outrage and news stories that are not about one novel but about the very nature of reading and writing fiction.

As publishers call in sensitivity readers, universities introduce content warnings and authors face charges of cultural appropriation, Abigail Williams, Professor of English at the University of Oxford, looks beyond the outrage to explore the power of the novel.

In this final episode, Abigail asks how the writing and publishing of novels is changing. 

How are novelists, literary agents and publishers navigating today's literary landscape amid concerns about identity, representation and the prejudices of authors past and present?  

Contributors include the literary agent Jonny Geller of Curtis Brown, publisher Sharmaine Lovegrove of Dialogue Books, Telegraph journalist Tim Stanley and the novelists Sara Collins, Leaf Arbuthnot and Nadifa Mohamed. 

Produced by Julia Johnson and Leo Hornak
Series Producer: Julia Johnson
Executive Producer: Steven Rajam
Readings by Maxine Peake and Viviana Armas

An Overcoat Media production for BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

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