Shark: an evening with Will Self, London Review Bookshop

Surly but incomparable, the critically acclaimed author and journalist Will Self will talk about psychotropic drugs, the American invasion of Cambodia, and the sinking of the USS Indianapolis as he discusses his latest novel Shark at the London Review Bookshop.

Shark is the second instalment of the trilogy which Self began with the Man Booker Prize shortlisted Umbrella. It is based upon events which took place during the Second World War, framed by the happenings of a 1970s American psychiatric commune and the memories of its residents.

The novel supposedly relies upon real life events, but don’t expect anything to feel familiar. Self’s fiction is not about creating an identifiable or recognisable world. It is about astonishing and disturbing the fundamental assumptions of the reader’s life.

Often perceived as the bad-boy of the literary establishment, the roguish writer has experienced controversy in his personal life. His drug use was much publicised until he became sober in 1997. Since then he has used his experiences to inform his work, which often focuses upon sex, drugs, violence, and mental health in a truthful and direct manner.

Despite the sometimes introspective nature of his fiction, Self can be a personable speaker and has appeared on television on a number of comic panel shows such as Have I Got News For You and current affairs shows like Newsnight. A self-described flaneur, his droll wit is sure to elucidate more than just his most recent novel.