Listen "What happens to fiction in times of war?"
Episode Synopsis
A snail scientist takes part in a kidnapping scheme to protest the Ukrainian romance industry. That's the story Maria Reva was writing in her debut novel, Endling. But then Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, leaving Maria to question whether fiction had a place in the devastating new reality. The result is an innovative and darkly humorous book in which Maria blends her novel with her own experiences grappling with the war. Endling is longlisted for the Booker and is a finalist for the Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. Maria joins Mattea Roach to talk about her interest in snails, the evolution of her novel and having loved ones on the frontlines in Ukraine.Liked this conversation? Keep listening:Nnedi Okorafor: Bringing a writer to life in Death of the Author Writing about catastrophe gives Madeleine Thien courage
More episodes of the podcast Bookends with Mattea Roach
Where do North Korean spies go for dinner?
19/10/2025
Think Stonehenge rocks? So does Ken Follett
12/10/2025
What is extreme caretaking?
08/10/2025
R.F. Kuang raises a little hell
05/10/2025
Who was the woman Kafka loved?
14/09/2025
Reliving the soundtrack of the 2000s
10/09/2025
Death, sex, money … and podcasting?
03/09/2025