大象传媒

Novels have always sparked controversy. Lady Chatterley's Lover, Lolita and American Psycho were all subject to fierce attacks.

But something is happening now that feels different - a rolling boil of social media outrage and news stories that are not about one novel but about the very nature of reading and writing fiction.

As publishers call in sensitivity readers, universities introduce content warnings and authors face charges of cultural appropriation, Abigail Williams, Professor of English at the University of Oxford, looks beyond the outrage to explore the power of the novel.

In this final episode, Abigail asks how the writing and publishing of novels is changing.

How are novelists, literary agents and publishers navigating today's literary landscape amid concerns about identity, representation and the prejudices of authors past and present?

Contributors include the literary agent Jonny Geller of Curtis Brown, publisher Sharmaine Lovegrove of Dialogue Books, Telegraph journalist Tim Stanley and the novelists Sara Collins, Leaf Arbuthnot and Nadifa Mohamed.

Produced by Julia Johnson and Leo Hornak
Series Producer: Julia Johnson
Executive Producer: Steven Rajam
Readings by Maxine Peake and Viviana Armas

An Overcoat Media production for 大象传媒 Radio 4