We are thrilled to welcome writer and historian Sarah Bakewell for a symposium on the great Michel de Montaigne.
Says Bakewell: ‘Michel de Montaigne was a sixteenth-century idler who, like many good idlers, was immensely productive. He ran a wine estate, served as mayor of Bordeaux, and invented the modern essay by writing 107 sceptical, entertaining, wise explorations which he named essais after the French for “try”. Yet as a child, he wrote, he was “so sluggish, lax, and drowsy that they could not tear me from my sloth, not even to make me play”. And he continued to cultivate this spirit of leisure and “nonchalance” as an adult – a principle which, for him, was the key to intellectual and personal freedom.’
In tonight’s symposium, Montaigne’s biographer Sarah Bakewell will talk about his life and work, and ask whether we can still learn from the Montaignean spirit today. Guests will have the opportunity to buy Sarah’s book and get it inscribed.
Sarah Bakewell
From Sarah Bakewell’s autobiography:
‘I studied philosophy at the University of Essex. I became enthralled by the work of Martin Heidegger and started a PhD on him, but the spell wore off as quickly as it had been cast, and I dropped out to move to London and work in a tea-bag factory.
‘My job was to catch boxes of tea-bags spat at me by a machine, flip them on their sides, and push them in groups of six to the next person on the line. It was only for the first two hours that machine spat faster than I could flip, but they were the most memorable two hours of my life.
‘After this, I worked in bookshops for several years, did a postgraduate degree in Artificial Intelligence, and wrote fiction in my spare time, before landing a job at the Wellcome Library for the History of Medicine. There, I spent ten fascinating years as a cataloguer and curator of early printed books. It was while cataloguing that collection that I came across the tales that started me off as a non-fiction writer: odd medical cases, and a mysterious, angry pamphlet by a “Mrs Stewart”, which became the seed of my book The Smart.
‘Since 2002, my main job has been writing. I also teach writing courses in both fiction and non-fiction, curate occasional exhibitions, and catalogue old books for the National Trust.’
Sarah’s latest book is How to Live: A Life on Montaigne In One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer. Here are some excerpts from the reviews:
“A marvellously confident and clear introduction to Montaigne … a rare achievement. Sarah Bakewell deserves congratulations for opening Montaigne to new readers so very appealingly.” David Sexton, The Evening Standard
“Splendidly conceived and exquisitely written … enormously absorbing.” James McConnachie, The Sunday Times
“An entertaining and well-researched book. .. a thorough account of a peculiar and vivid personality.” Philip Hensher, The Spectator
“Bakewell writes with verve … an intellectually lively treatment of a Renaissance giant and his world.” Matthew Dennison, Daily Telegraph
“How to Live is a superb, spirited introduction to the master.” Adam Thorpe, The Guardian
“It is ultimately his life-loving vivacity that she succeeds in communicating to her readers.” Ruth Scurr, The Observer
“Her fluid structure beautifully reflects the freeform nature of Montaigne’s candid meditations on his daily life, idleness, food and his cat.” Claire Allfree, Metro
“The challenge to the biographer is to write about Montaigne’s life in its spirit, which is precisely what Sarah Bakewell has done.” Julian Baggini, Financial Times
“If you know his work, How to Live will delight and illuminate. If you don’t, the book stands splendidly alone … In short, Montaigne has here the biography he deserves, and would have enjoyed its unconventional structure.” Michael Bywater, The Independent
“Just occasionally, I stumble on a golden nugget so fascinating and well-written that I realise how lucky I am to be a reviewer. I’m so pleased to have chanced upon this inviting biography of Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell!” Trish Simpson-Davis, ‘The Bookbag’
See Sarah’s website here.
Date: Thursday 9 February 2012
Time: 6.30pm for 7pm. Ends 9pm
Place: The Idler Academy, 81 Westbourne Park Road, London W2 5QH. Tel 0207 221 5908
Cost: £20/£15 concession/£10 member. Price includes free wine, nibbles and exercise book. Members please telephone to book. To book online, click here.
