---
layout: post
status: publish
published: true
title: Russell Hoban in Conversation with Will Self at the British Library

wordpress_id: 779
wordpress_url: https://www.martineve.com/?p=779
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categories:
- Literature
tags:
- Russell Hoban
comments:
- id: 6186
  author: Peter Moffatt
  author_email: hyfy@hotmail.co.uk
  author_url: ''
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  content: For me, the most joyous aspect of the event was witnessing the 85-year-old
    Hoban gently outwitting his host at every turn.
- id: 6187
  author: Martin Paul Eve
  author_email: martin@martineve.com
  author_url: ''
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  content: I'm not sure I would say "outwitting"; it seemed to me that the two were
    engaged in a conversation that actually had a lot of mutual respect -- outwitting
    tends to imply that there was hostility which, in this case, I don't think there
    was. An excellent evening, though, and it seems Russ is doing an Edinburgh festival
    event, too.
- id: 6189
  author: maggy-ann
  author_email: emmae_4@hotmail.com
  author_url: ''
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  content: Sounds like one of the best events ever, Martin, I'm sorry to have missed
    it but your personal and perceptive re-play does help.  Thank you!
---
<div><img src="https://www.martineve.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/IMAG0027-1024x612.jpg" alt="Will Self and Russell Hoban" title="Will Self and Russell Hoban" style="width:750px;" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-780" /></div>
<div>
<p>Last night I was privileged enough to attend an event forming part of the British Library's Evolving English series featuring the novelist Russell Hoban in conversation with renowned satirist, novelist and generally sharp guy, Will Self. The conversation was focused around Hoban's masterwork, Riddley Walker.</p>
</div>
<p>As a guest of Mr. Hoban, I was lucky enough to be backstage with him and his wife, Gundula, before the talk began where he professed his current obsession with the works of Chekhov, his distaste for the sub-par dancing skills of Ms Natalie Portman in Black Swan and the much debated thorny issue of historical realism in contemporary cinema, especially when there is an ethical duty, such as in The King's Speech. When Will Self arrived, the room fell silent; he is certainly an imposing presence and I became extremely nervous that he was, as a result, going to dominate the evening. Having popped my one question to Self, (&lt;me&gt; (nervously): whose decision was it to put a dictionary of Dave-speak at the back of the book of Dave? &lt;Will Self&gt; (not nervously): the editor, I should have been firmer) we went and took our seats.</p>
<p>As it happens, I couldn't have been more wrong. Will Self was the most gracious of "interviewers" consistently praising Hoban's extraordinary writing, calling most writers mere table makers. At the end of the day, all the tables are flat and you eat off them. In Hoban's case, Self said, the table could have legs of different lengths and you might want to lie underneath it, which is a great metaphor for the off-kilter nature of Hoban's work.</p>
<p>The discussion centred around Riddley Walker and was, in many respects, similar to the discussion at the Guardian Book Club which took place a while ago and of which an audio recording is available. Missing from that event, however, was Self's excellent performances (which Hoban insisted must be performed in a 2000 year into the future Kentish accent) which were superb.</p>
<p>Furthermore, Hoban can be a tricky man to interview. He has a propensity to rebuff intellectual interpretations of his work and does not suffer fools gladly; indeed, he is the master of the single word response to the multi-paragraph question. It was evident, though, that he took extremely well to Will Self and was more than happy to chat away, produce his Mr. Punch puppet and elaborate upon issues of science, luddism and quiddity in his works.</p>
<p>The evening was rounded off with an evening at Pizza Express opposite the BL with Kraken (Russell Hoban fan club) members Roland Clare, Peter Christian, Richard Cooper and Ali Baker. Overall, an excellent evening!<br />
<img src="https://www.martineve.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/IMAG0028-1024x612.jpg" alt="Roland Helen and Peter" title="Roland Helen and Peter" style="width:750px;" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-783" /><br />
<i>Roland Clare, Helen Eve and Peter Christian</i></p>