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View all events for category: Literature & poetry

Sayaka Murata: Vanishing World

The Convenience Store Woman author discusses her new book, set in a near-future where children are conceived by artificial insemination, with Octavia Bright.

In Vanishing World, even sex between married couples is viewed as taboo.

Amane’s family is irregular. Her parents copulated to create her and hope that she too will find love and have a child with the person she marries. But Amane falls in line with society’s way of thinking and wants a regular ‘clean’ marriage.

Then she hears of a place that is the subject of a social experiment. Everyone in Paradise-Eden will act as one big family. Could this be the perfect third way?

Octavia Bright is a writer and broadcaster. She has presented programmes for BBC Radio 4, including World Book Café and Open Book, and hosts literary events for bookshops, publishers and festivals. She also co-hosted Literary Friction, the literary podcast and NTS Radio show, for over a decade with Carrie Plitt.

In partnership with the Japan Foundation and the Japan House London Trust

Need to know

Age guidance
For ages 16+
Event information

This event has consecutive translation from Japanese to English.

A woman in a dark blue, long-sleeved dress with shoulder length brown hair.

Octavia Bright

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For your visit

This event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre

The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.