“Every book you’ve ever read is written by all the books that have gone before it.”
This was one of many beautifully expressed phrases that captivated the audience at Ali Smith’s talk at The Space on Tuesday 14 May. The room was full of complex ideas as Ali Smith discussed her new book Spring with BBC producer Emma Harding, including giving a breathtaking reading of the opening of the novel, the third in her Seasonal Quartet.
She also revealed the ways the problems of our society have influenced her novels, discussing climate change, the refugee crisis, technology, and of course, Brexit. Thought-provoking, dynamic and utterly brilliant, whether you had read all her books or none, everyone left the talk desperate to read Spring, and with a different perspective on our society, and in particular the role of the storyteller within it.
Amy Thomas, Lower Sixth
