The Observer Book Club with William Boyd

Invited experts

William Boyd

Join us for an enthralling Observer Book Club evening with William Boyd, one of Britain’s most celebrated novelists and the acclaimed author of Any Human Heart, Restless and Trio, as he discusses his much-anticipated new novel, The Predicament. Boyd has long been known for his gift in weaving together intimate personal lives and sweeping historical canvases. Set across continents and decades, The Predicament follows a cast of characters caught in the entanglements of chance, ambition, secrecy and desire. Sharp, witty and deeply humane, the story probes how the accidents of history and the choices of individuals collide, creating the uncertain and often bewildering conditions of modern life. In conversation in the Observer newsroom, Boyd will reflect on the inspirations behind The Predicament, the craft of creating complex fictional worlds, and his enduring preoccupation with time, fate and identity. Together, we’ll ask: What binds together the seemingly random events that shape a life? How do we find meaning in the unpredictable twists of history and human relationships? And why does fiction remain our best guide to navigating the bewildering predicaments of existence?