October 2023
An evening with Louis de Bernières
It was a wonderful evening in October as we welcomed top-selling and world-renowned author Louis de Bernières to our monthly Book Club event. You could hear a pin drop as he captivated the room by speaking about his writing process, sharing what inspires him and revealing how his passion for understanding the world around him is what drives him to write. It is this passion for researching and exploring various concepts which allows him to author complex stories built within vivid worlds which cause the readers to question reality.
Interestingly, though, while his latest novel, Light Over Liskeard, explores complex topics such as quantum computing and apocalyptic worlds, he explained that love is the central theme in all his books, and this one is no different. He believes that love is the most powerful and complex emotion. It can be a source of joy, pain, hope and despair and it is this along with its different expressions, such as romantic love, familial love, platonic love and even a love for animals, that he intertwines into his stories.
We were given a sneak preview into the Light Over Liskeard as he read two excerpts from the novel. This left our audience wanting to explore it further, evidenced by the long queue of people waiting to get their hands on a copy and have Louis sign it.
It was a very inspiring evening spent with a remarkable man.