8 November 2022 - 8 November 2022
4:00PM - 5:00PM
Online
Free
Join Kelechi Anucha, Veronica Heney, and Arya Thampuran for a discussion of Han Kang’s widely acclaimed 2007 novel The Vegetarian.
“The first madness was that we were born”: Cultures of Madness in 21st Century Writing
The Vegetarian tells, from multiple perspectives, the story of Yeong-hye whose decision to stop eating meat leads to both alienation and conflict. Resisting the tendency towards taxonomies and categorisation in the description (or depiction) of mental distress, the novel encourages readers to engage with questions of plurality, trauma, and non-normative experiences.
Following initial prompts and provocations, the event will prioritise wide-ranging discussion between all attendees, as we explore the complexities and nuances of this fascinating text.
The Cultures of Madness seminar series attempts to consider the representation of madness and mental distress in innovative and important literary texts published across the previous two decades.
Full Seminar Series
The Vegetarian, Han Kang – Tuesday 8th November 2022
White is for Witching, Helen Oyeyemi – Tuesday 24th January 2023
Freshwater, Akwaeke Emezi – Tuesday 21st March 2023
The Terrible, Yrsa Daley-Ward & I want to die but I want to eat Tteokbokki, Baek Sehee – Tuesday 23rd May 2023
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