In this special conversation, two of the most distinctive voices in contemporary literature —Eimear McBride and Katie Kitamura— discuss the evolving role of the novel, the possibilities of voice and form, and the shifting ground between intimacy and estrangement.

McBride’s work has been widely celebrated for its radical use of language and emotional intensity. Her writing pushes grammar and syntax to their limits in order to capture interior states with raw immediacy, offering readers a deeply intimate and unsettling experience. She has been credited with reshaping modernist tradition for the 21st century, bringing new urgency and depth to the psychological novel.

Kitamura is known for her elegant restraint and precise psychological portraits. Her novels explore power, detachment, and the limits of knowing—quietly immersive works that often center on women navigating opaque moral and emotional terrain. With a style marked by clarity and quiet tension, she invites readers into the uncertain spaces between identity, language, and action.

The conversation will be moderated by Lori Feathers, co-owner and book buyer at Interabang Books in Dallas, a respected literary critic, and chair of the Republic of Consciousness Prize (US).

 

Presented by: HAY FESTIVAL 2025