Writers on Music

Published: July 18, 2021, 11:15 p.m.

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Kate Molleson talks to some of today's greatest writers about how music shapes their work and explores the ineffable intersection between words and music. Featuring Colm T\\xf3ib\\xedn, Elif Shafak, Ishmael Reed, Simon Armitage and Lavinia Greenlaw.

Best-selling Irish author Colm T\\xf3ib\\xedn\\u2019s writing is infused with sound and music. His latest book is a fictional account of the life of Thomas Mann and is steeped in Mahler and Schoenberg. He discusses the powerful role music plays in his fiction and reads from his book \\u2018Nora Webster\\u2019, in which the main character finds resilience through music after the death of her husband. Turkish-British writer Elif Shafak talks about the sound of Istanbul, the social implications of sound and silence and how her books can give voice to those in society who are otherwise voiceless. She reads from her acclaimed book \\u201810 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World\\u2019 and talks about the influence of heavy metal on her writing. US writer Ishmael Reed explores the role of improvisation and rhythm in his work, including his 1972 classic \\u2018Mumbo Jumbo\\u2019 and a new collection of poetry called \\u2018Why the Black Hole Sings the Blues\\u2019. Poet Laureate Simon Armitage discusses how music and words mix in the poetry he writes for his band LYR and the volatility of language when set to music. And poet and novelist Lavinia Greenlaw explores the fundamental way in which music has shaped her writing throughout her life, as well as the interconnectedness of music, memory and emotion.

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