Ian McEwan
Was wir wissen können
('What We Can Know')
Ian McEwan's latest novel What We Can Know is a dystopian vision of the future and at the same time a reflection on the present. In the year 2119, Europe is largely submerged under water after a nuclear disaster; the memories of the 21st century's riches, freedom and carefree life are only a half-remembered longing. The literature scholar Thomas Metcalfe tries to track down a legendary love poem by the poet Francis Blundy which he the latter dedicated to his wife Vivien in 2014 that has since then been considered lost. Between the fragments of a world that is gone forever, Metcalfe discovers hints about a secret love and a crime that fundamentally challenges his view of the past and our knowledge of it. The novel is about a search for clues regarding the past and at the same time a moving love story and a philosophical thriller about the limits of human knowledge. McEwan's powerful storytelling blends scientific curiosity with emotional depth and reflections on society; the result is a memorable work about remembrance, literature and responsibility for the future.
From the mid-1980s onwards, the actor and author Matthias Brandt has been a member of various theatre ensembles, most recently at the Schauspielhaus Zurich and the Schauspielhaus Bochum. Since 2000, he has worked mainly in TV and film, and has won numerous awards. He is best-known for his performances as the Munich-based inspector in the TV crime series Polizeiruf 110, and the character of August Benda he played in Babylon Berlin. His first book, the volume of short stories Raumpatrouille, was published in 2016; his debut novel Blackbird followed in 2019.
Dramatic rights: © Diogenes Verlag, Zurich
