Death, depression, dementia, violence, hatred, loneliness, child abuse, bleak terrains, evil regimes, hopeless futures – many new novels, even by young writers, focus on the dark side. Is this the authors’ view or experience of life, or is it a way of highlighting increasingly prevalent wrongs which need to be righted. Do dystopian novels work by validating the alienation and unhappiness that the reader may already be feeling? Or are they cautionary tales, which by showing the worst that can happen when people go wrong, conversely cause the reader to prize virtue and compassion, and to recognise, and thereby resist, agendas that would wreak evil in this world?
Andrey is a Ukrainian novelist who writes in Russian and Ukrainian. He is the author of over 20 novels and 10 books for children. His work has been translated into 37 languages.
More InfoMarkus Zusak is the international bestselling and multi-award winning author of six novels including Bridge of Clay, The Book Thief and I am the Messenger.
More InfoSonal Shah is a New Delhi based writer and editor with roots in the Washington, DC area.
More InfoFestival Inauguration followed by The Enduring Power Of Words.
Ian McEwan live in conversation with Anil Dharker.
From The Particular To The Universal.
Howard Jacobson in conversation with Karthika VK.
Books That Made Me A Writer.
A panel discussion with Ashwin Sanghi, Cauvery Madhavan, Ira Mukhoty, Taran Khan with Rehana Munir as the chair.