Held in association with Bloomsbury and Waterstones, Damian Barr, award-winning author of Maggie & Me, will be discussing his stunning and shocking debut novel, You Will Be Safe Here, with the internationally acclaimed writer, Margie Orford.
An Observer, Financial Times and Guardian Pick for 2019, Damian’s debut novel explores the legacies of abuse, redemption and the strength of the human spirit. Set in two time frames, that of contemporary South Africa and at the height of the Boer War, You Will be Safe Here is a “formally ingenious,” “gripping,” and “luminously compassionate” novel, inspired by real events, that uncovers a hidden colonial history.
Damian Barr is an award-winning writer and columnist. Maggie & Me, his memoir about coming of age and coming out in Thatcher’s Britain, was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week and Sunday Times’ Memoir of the Year. Damian writes columns for the Big Issue and High Life, and often appears on BBC Radio 4. He is also the creator and host of his own Literary Salon that premieres work from established and emerging writers.
Margie Orford will be chairing this event. Margie is the author of the Clare Hart novels – a literary crime fiction series that explores violence and its effects in South Africa – as well as an award-winning journalist. She writes regularly on crime, gender violence, politics and freedom of expression. A member of the executive board of PEN International, Margie is also the former president of PEN South Africa.
Please join us for what promises to be a fascinating evening of discussion.
