Howard Jacobson Howl

About

How do we make sense of a world increasingly divided by anger, fear and political conflict? And what happens when the great arguments of our age invade our homes, divide our families and challenge our deepest beliefs about who we are?In this powerful and thought-provoking talk, Booker Prize-winning novelist Howard Jacobson explores the themes of his provocative and darkly comic new novel, Howl, a searing examination of Jewish identity, antisemitism, family conflict and the divisions of contemporary society.In the aftermath of the attacks of 7 October 2023, Ferdinand Draxler, a Jewish London primary-school headteacher, finds his world unravelling. The son of a Holocaust survivor who accuses him of cowardice, and the father of a daughter who considers him complicit in genocide, Draxler struggles to make sense of a society increasingly consumed by anger, fear and political division. His school staffroom becomes a battleground of conflicting opinions, he obsessively searches the streets for antisemitic graffiti, and even his patient wife struggles to rescue him from his growing despair. As his relationships fracture, he finds himself caught between the weight of history, the bitterness of the present and the absurdities of everyday life.Combining fierce intelligence, moral seriousness and Jacobson's trademark wit, Howl has attracted extraordinary praise. Playwright Patrick Marber calls it "a howling comic masterpiece", while journalist Jonathan Freedland declares that it "boils with fury and fizzes with life". David Baddiel praises its brilliant combination of despair and laughter, while Sir Anthony Seldon describes it as a bold and brilliant novel that demands discussion.In what promises to be a compelling, provocative and often darkly humorous conversation, Jacobson explores the inspiration behind Howl, the resurgence of antisemitism, the impact of the Israel-Gaza conflict on British society, and the tensions between political conviction, family loyalty and personal identity. How should we respond when those closest to us see the world in fundamentally different ways? Can humour help us confront even the darkest moments of history? And what can literature reveal about human nature that political argument alone cannot?Howard Jacobson is one of Britain's most distinguished and provocative novelists, celebrated for his penetrating explorations of Jewish identity, relationships and contemporary society. Born in Manchester, he has written eighteen novels and six works of non-fiction. He won the 2010 Man Booker Prize for The Finkler Question and was shortlisted again in 2014 for J. His acclaimed novels also include The Mighty Walzer and Zoo Time, both winners of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction. A prominent journalist, broadcaster and cultural commentator, Jacobson is renowned for his formidable wit, intellectual independence and willingness to confront uncomfortable questions.A Q&A Session will follow.