Cloud Atlas author to attend sold-out international conference on his works

Award-winning author David Mitchell will visit the University of St Andrews on Saturday 3 June 2017 for a one-day international conference on his works.

The conference, to be held in the School of English, brings together twenty speakers from ten countries to discuss the author’s fictions, which include novels, short stories, operas and film adaptations, and the 2004 novel Cloud Atlas (pictured).

The event, which sold out nearly three months in advance, will also include a visit to the University’s Special Collections to see the new collection of David Mitchell’s rare works held there, as well as a reading from the author.

Conference organiser Dr Rose Harris-Birtill of the School of English, said: “It’s brilliant that so many people are coming together to take part from across the globe, and that the author has generously given up his time to come along.

“For me, the day is about bringing together a wider community that includes both contemporary literature experts and readers who simply want to know more.

“This isn’t just about discussing books. These works open up some of the most difficult problems of the twenty-first century, including the effects of globalisation, climate change, and the aftermath of the Iraq war. Of course, reading is about enjoyment too. But the stories that we read and share can also give us another way to confront some of the greatest difficulties that we face as a species – and in the current political climate, understanding the way that stories can be used to inform and transform us is becoming ever more urgent.”

Dr Harris-Birtill will also be guest editing the associated publication following the conference, a special edition of the journal C21 Literature.

Background information

Visit the website for more information on the David Mitchell Conference 2017.

The School of English has been ranked third in the UK, and first in Scotland, in the most recent league table of research intensive departments (2014); 86 per cent of the School’s research has been rated world leading and internationally excellent.

Issued by the University of St Andrews Communications Office, contactable on 01334 467310/2530 or [email protected].