5x15 January 2022
Michael Ignatieff is a Canadian writer, philosopher, historian, professor and former politician. His award-winning books have been translated into twelve languages, and in 2016 he was named a Member of the Order of Canada. Arriving at one of the darkest moments in recent times, ON CONSOLATION is an uplifting and deeply moving portrait of men and women across history who have found the courage to face their fates and continue, unafraid. Asking how we console each other - and ourselves - in an age of unbelief, it draws on sources from the books of Job to the lives of Albert Camus and Primo Levi to show how, in extremity, we can recover hope and resilience.
Huma Abedin often made the headlines as a long-time aide to Hillary Clinton during her years as First Lady, US Senator, presidential candidate, Secretary of State and Democratic Presidential Nominee. In her memoir BOTH/AND, Huma tells her inspiring story coming of age as an American Muslim, the daughter of Indian and Pakistani scholars who split their time between Saudi Arabia, the United States and the UK. She also writes candidly about family, legacy, identity, faith, motherhood and her marriage to former congressman Anthony Weiner.
Emma Gannon is a Sunday Times bestselling author, speaker, novelist and host of the award-winning creative careers podcast in the UK, Ctrl Alt Delete, which has reached almost 10 million downloads. She has blogged since 2009; podcasted since 2016 and is the author of five books, including her award-winning debut novel OLIVE. Her new book Disconnected will be published in January 2022 in the UK and US.
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers is a fiction writer, award-winning poet and essayist, and teaches creative writing and literature at the University of Oklahoma. Her breath-taking debut novel, THE LOVE SONGS OF W.E.B DU BOIS, chronicles the journey of multiple generations of one American family, from the centuries of the colonial slave trade through the Civil War to our own tumultuous era. Set to be one of the most talked about books of the year, it was an instant New York Times top 10 bestseller and Oprah Book Club Choice, and has drawn comparisons to the work of Toni Morrison.
Ben Rawlence has written for publications including the Guardian, London Review of Books, New York Times, New York Times Book Review and the New Yorker. While working for Human Rights Watch in the Horn of Africa he became fascinated by the Dadaab refugee camp, which became the subject of his acclaimed 2016 book, City of Thorns. His new book, THE TREELINE, is a powerful and beautifully written blend of reportage, nature, travel and science writing. Telling the story of our changing climate through six species of tree, it documents the devastating effects of human activity – and offers reasons for hope.