Kate Atkinson joins Tom’s Book Club to discuss Our Noble Selves, her new historical novel set in post-war Britain against the backdrop of the 1951 Festival of Britain.
It’s the summer of 1951, and Britain is trying to put the darkness of the Second World War behind it. Former foreign correspondent and war reporter Harry Flynn joins the eccentric team preparing the Festival of Britain, while attempting to rebuild his life after the war. But when a woman he's been seeing goes missing, Flynn finds himself under suspicion and drawn into an investigation involving a cast of unforgettable characters.
In this conversation, Kate Atkinson talks about the real history behind Our Noble Selves, including the extraordinary and often eccentric details of the Festival of Britain. She discusses her writing process and how she creates characters, including one inspired by television cook Fanny Craddock. We also explore Kate’s approach to humour and why even a novel dealing with the aftermath of war can be funny.
Kate Atkinson is one of Britain’s most acclaimed novelists. Her debut novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Book of the Year prize. Her bestselling historical novels include Life After Life, A God in Ruins, Transcription and Shrines of Gaiety. She is also the author of the Jackson Brodie crime novels, including Case Histories and Death at the Sign of the Rook.
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