RSL Event: Monday 19 March at 7pm
Richard Davenport-Hines & Frances Wilson
Titanic Voyagers
Chaired by Susan Hitch
One hundred years ago this spring, RMS Titanic struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York and sank with the loss of more than 1,500 lives. Richard Davenport-Hines, author of Titanic Lives: migrants, millionaires, conmen and crew, and Frances Wilson, who has recently published How to Survive the Titanic, or the Sinking of J. Bruce Ismay, talk about why the calamity made such an impact, and why it has such enduring interest; what it tells us about both the beauty of the human spirit and the squalor of human motive; and which stories have continued to resonate for them since completing their books. And they ask whether it is a good thing that publishers are so obsessed with anniversaries.Venue: The Kenneth Clark Lecture Theatre, The Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House
We are pleased to announce our summer programme. With events including Susannah Clapp, Caryl Phillips and Bidisha discussing the legacy of Angela Carter; Rowan Williams, and Fiona Sampson, reflecting on the relationship of poetry and prayer; Hilary Mantel talking to James Runcieabout her life and work; and Michael Ondaatje (right) discussing his writing career, it is set to be a fascinating and thought-provoking season.
