Never afraid to take on a difficult subject, topic or indeed take on conventional wisdom, Lionel is that rarest of things, a truly brave thinker and writer. In an increasingly PC and sanitised world, the most laudable writers dare to think differently. Shriver is one of those artists. Winner of the prestigious Orange Prize for female fiction, Lionel Shriver is one of the most important female voices in the English language today. “We need to talk about Kevin” was a massive bestseller, while her novel The Mandibles was astonishingly prophetic in this age of Trump. Her latest book is The Standing Chandelier.

With Rick O’Shea.

Recorded at The Dalkey Book Festival 16 June 2018