“Male”, “female” and the concept of the literary character

David Szalay’s 2025 Booker Prize win for his novel Flesh, “a story about a taciturn, lustful and at times violent man”, set off an intense round of discourse. The discussion was not limited to the book’s extraordinary form, which opts for insinuation over diagnosis and description over analysis, but also expanded to wider issues, such as the place of Flesh in 21^st century literature and the stance of contemporary fiction in general towards masculinity. Celebrated writer Nicole Krauss is no stranger to the male voice. Her books feature men of all ages, some fragile and vulnerable, others difficult and violent. Whether victims or victimizers, her male characters are often receptive to the sort of introspection that Szalay’s protagonist seems resolutely incapable of. Talking with writer and translator Kostas Kaltsas, Krauss and Szalay will discuss “male” and “female” voices, first-person and third-person narratives, observation and interiority, and the many meanings of the term “literary character”.