Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Tuesday 11 October
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
Simon Leys' cultural and political commentary has spanned four decades, with no corner of the arts escaping his sharp eye and acerbic wit. Since moving to Australia in 1970 he has become one of the country’s most highly acclaimed writers, with books including The Hall of Uselessness, Other People’s Thoughts, The Death of Napoleon, and The Wreck of the Batavia & Prosper.
In this special lecture, one of Australia’s most important writers and critics reflects on the how and why of literary criticism.
Featuring
Simon Leys
Simon Leys’ books include The Hall of Uselessness: Collected Essays, The Death of Napoleon, Other People’s Thoughts and The Wreck of the Batavia & Prosper. Leys’ writing has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Le Monde, Le Figaro Littéraire, Quadrant and The Monthly.
Simon Leys is the pen-name of Pierre Ryckmans, who was born in Belgium and settled in Australia in 1970. He taught Chinese literature at the Australian National University and was Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Sydney from 1987 to 1993.
In 1996 he delivered the ABC’s Boyer Lectures. His many awards include the Prix Renaudot, the Prix Femina, the Prix Guizot and the Christina Stead Prize for fiction.