Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver

Author: Sydney Opera House July 30, 2018 Duration: 45:18

How might literature change the world? American author Barbara Kingsolver has been asking this question through her best-selling novels and essays for years. After a self-described ‘curious childhood’ split between rural Appalachia and remote global locations where her doctor father was posted, she developed an independent spirit and an unshakeable love for the natural world. This passion manifested as activism during her biology degree, but despite becoming a scientist, it was literature than ultimately won out. Although she wrote several award-winning essays and novels through the late 90s and into the 2000s, it wasn’t until her novel The Poisonwood Bible was featured on Oprah Winfrey’s book club that Barbara skyrocketed to international fame. Barbara used her royalties to establish the Bellwether literary prize for socially engaged fiction, and she remains an activist at heart, with a body of work that is a testament to a belief in the power of the written word.

This episode of It's a Long Story is hosted by Edwina Throsby.

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Show notes

The Bellwether Literary Prize Barbara Kingsolver at Sydney Opera House The Poisonwood Bible on Oprah's Book Club Barbara Kingsolver on #metoo and feminists today


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Behind every significant idea, there is a rich and often winding narrative waiting to be told. It's a Long Story is where those narratives unfold, brought to life by the Sydney Opera House as a key part of its Talks and Ideas program. Host Edwina Throsby guides these explorations, sitting down for deep conversations with a fascinating array of global thinkers, artists, and culture creators. Each episode delves beyond the headlines and finished works, uncovering the personal journeys, creative struggles, and pivotal moments that shape groundbreaking contributions to the arts, commentary, and current affairs. This podcast offers a rare, intimate space to hear the nuanced stories behind the public personas, providing listeners with a deeper understanding of the forces that drive innovation and cultural dialogue. Tune in for thoughtful, extended dialogues that remind us that the most compelling concepts are rarely born in an instant, but are instead the product of a long, considered, and human process.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 62

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