A celebration of one of the most original and distinguished novelists of the late twentieth century

Angela Carter was one of the most original and distinguished novelists of the late twentieth century. In 2008, The Times ranked her tenth in their list of the greatest writers since 1945, and in 2012 her Nights at the Circus was selected as the best ever winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. Does her work – often regarded as pure fantasy – reflect anything of her life? And how has she been mythologised since her death? Edmund Gordon, winner of the RSL Jerwood Award for a non-fiction work in progress, publishes his biography of Carter this Autumn. He talks to Lisa Appignanesi, Susannah Clapp and Pauline Melville, all friends of Carter, about how his impressions of her shifted as the book progressed, and why she’s still relevant today.

Please note that this recording contains strong language.

Recorded on: November 24, 2016
Recorded at: British Library Knowledge Centre