The Isle of Jura Event
Writing in isolation
| 12 Aug 2007
Take two heavily opinionated writers, isolate them on a Scottish island and wait patiently for the ensuing literary gems. Sardonic and charming Will Self and sharp and engaging Philip Gourevitch retreated to the Isle of Jura, where Orwell isolated himself to write the much-revered classic, Nineteen Eighty-Four. The ensuing discussion revealed both author's preoccupations with the notion of dystopian writing and the responsibilities, and potential pitfalls, of reportage journalism.
From the onset it seemed that the two authors had decided their roles in the conversation. Gourevitch, probably best known for his book on the 1994 Rwandan genocide, was to anchor the talk in his experiences of reporting from international crises and explain why there is no such thing as neutrality in non-fiction, which he considers an excuse for poor journalism. Self was to play crowd pleaser, delivering straight faced quips about the rumbles in the room ("the digestion of the gods") and the likelihood of him butchering Gourevitch on stage with a water glass. Gourevitch, whilst offering a high brow discussion of the political contradictions of Orwell, was careful to appeal to the laymen in the room (Will's words, not mine), providing topical anecdotes and self-deprecating humour. Self, when he did engage with the topic, seemed keener to alienate the audience with his superfluous slurrings, or patronise them with continuous jokes. Ironically, it was the less attention-seeking of the two men who emerged from the discussion with an enthusiastic trail of book-wielding fans.
From the onset it seemed that the two authors had decided their roles in the conversation. Gourevitch, probably best known for his book on the 1994 Rwandan genocide, was to anchor the talk in his experiences of reporting from international crises and explain why there is no such thing as neutrality in non-fiction, which he considers an excuse for poor journalism. Self was to play crowd pleaser, delivering straight faced quips about the rumbles in the room ("the digestion of the gods") and the likelihood of him butchering Gourevitch on stage with a water glass. Gourevitch, whilst offering a high brow discussion of the political contradictions of Orwell, was careful to appeal to the laymen in the room (Will's words, not mine), providing topical anecdotes and self-deprecating humour. Self, when he did engage with the topic, seemed keener to alienate the audience with his superfluous slurrings, or patronise them with continuous jokes. Ironically, it was the less attention-seeking of the two men who emerged from the discussion with an enthusiastic trail of book-wielding fans.