Literature in turbulent times: the writer as creator and preserver of memory

We bring together Irish writer and Booker Prize winner Paul Lynch and Greek author Nikos A. Mandis for a wide-ranging discussion that starts off with Lynch’s Beyond the Sea and expands into the creative process itself, the difficulties faced by writers when developing ideas, and their obsessions and affinities with other books and arts. The two novelists will talk about the distinctiveness of the Irish mindset, the “Irish boom” that has reshaped the global literary landscape and Lynch’s feelings about his part in it. They will also share their thoughts about the relationship between literary realism and genre fiction at a time of creative fusions and blurred boundaries. You can expect a stimulating conversation about the value of reading and writing in harsh times and the experience of literature at a time of great upheaval, when the advent of artificial intelligence promises dramatic changes for the entire creative sector.