As any reader can attest, it is a thrilling experience to develop a new interest due solely to the interests of another human. The creative non-fiction explored by the authors on this panel pushes beyond general memoir, into niche territories, such as the fall of Kabul, mysterious sculpture gardens, and photographs of Sarah Bernhardt. And like a domino-effect of curiosity, these writers’ obsessions spark the rest of our imaginations and leave us immersed in topics we had no idea we wanted to know about! In exactly the opposite of our algorithm driven world, here, fascination creates a trend, rather than trends determining our fascination.
Join moderator Lamees Al Ethari, as she speaks with Jamaluddin Aram (The Blood of Things), Kasia Van Schaik (Women Among Monuments: Solitude, Permission, and the Pursuit of Female Genius), and Alex Bertram (Unequivocal Magic: Sarah Bernhardt and the Journey of a Portrait) about their latest books, and how they’ve been able to create work that is both meticulous and expansive, personal and political, distinct and universal.Â
