Dystopias and Utopias

Lionel Shriver’s twelfth novel The Mandibles (A Family 2029-2047), a frightening yet wickedly satirical book about a nation’s not-to-distant future economic collapse, was described in the Observer as “a chilling and timely portrait of the death of the American dream.” If Shriver is the “Cassandra of American letters” (New York Times), Philip K. Howard has a vision to counteract despair. His current book, Try Common Sense, advocates personal responsibility, as opposed to bureaucratic government intervention. What will the two polemicists make of each other’s world view? Lionel Shriver is the go-to writer for some of the big issues of our time.  Her breakthrough novel was We Need To Talk About Kevin. Philip K. Howard’s previous book was The Rule of Nobody. Chaired by UK journalist and political pundit, Matthew D'Ancona.