Events at the Shop
Alan Bennett - The Habit of Art
Monday 7 December 2009
The Habit of Art is as much about the theatre as it is about poetry or music. Benjamin Britten, sailing uncomfortably close to the wind with his new opera Death in Venice, seeks advice from his former collaborator and friend, W.H. Auden. During this imagined meeting they are observed and interrupted by, among others, their future biographer and a young man from the local bus station. The play looks at the unsettling desires of two difficult men, the ethics of biography, creativity and inspiration, growing old, and on persisting when all passion is spent. Alan Bennett read from his introduction to the Faber-published text of the play, before answering a barrage of questions from the audience about the play, and about his life and work to date.
“Real Artists Are Not Nice People”
Listen now (28:09) | Download (MP3, 25.8MB)
Audience Questions Part I
Listen now (18:01) | Download (MP3, 16.5MB)
Audience Questions Part II
Listen now (19:54) | Download (MP3, 18.2MB)
Recorded and edited by Adrian Leibowitz and Brett Wilson
Common Custom:documentary & archive
Alan Bennett’s plays include The History Boys, Talking Heads and The Madness of George III. His books include Untold Stories, Writing Home and most recently the novella The Uncommon Reader, which first appeared in the LRB.
Further Reading
If you enjoyed this event, you may also be interested in:
Writing Family History with Jeremy Harding, John Lanchester, Nicholas Spice and Mary-Kay Wilmers