Episode 26: Troubled love in Louise Kennedy’s “Trespasses” + the 18th Century “cancelling” of Captain Cook

At first drawn to short stories, Louise Kennedy couldn’t resist expanding this ill-fated love story set at the peak of the Irish Troubles into a full and vividly depicted novel, “Trespasses”.

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Is it too much to say that the author of Captain Cook’s “Voyages”  was “cancelled” by his contemporaries and the sexual exploits of Joseph Banks “went viral”? Not according to US literary academic Saar Shahar who has researched the writings around Captain Cook’s voyages.

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The next best thing to reading is listening to writers talk about their creations.

 

Guests

Louise Kennedy, author of “Trespasses” and a collection of short stories “The End of the World is a Cul de Sac” 

Saar Shahar, 18th century scholar and PhD candidate in English at the University of Southern California,  puts the exploits of Captain Cook and Joseph Banks into historical literary context with surprising results.

Other books that get a mention:

Cath and Annie mention “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee, “The Anniversary” by Stephanie Bishop, “The Sun Walks Down” by Fiona McFarlane, “The Tilt” and “Treasure & Dirt” by Chris Hammer, and “Summer Water” by Sarah Moss.

Saar Shahar refers to “An Account of the Voyages….” by John Hawkesworth,

and “An Epistle from Mr. Banks, Voyager, Monster-Hunter, and Amoroso, to Oberea, Queen of Otaheite”, by John Scott.

Both were published in 1773.

Emma has just finished reading “Never” by Ken Follett and her favourite book of all time is “The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver.

 

 

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