Colum McCann: Infinite Stories

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Colum McCann’s seventh book, Apeirogon, takes its name from the mathematical term for an object with an infinite number of sides. The novel is based on the true, intersecting lives of two men – a Palestinian, Bassam Aramin, and an Israeli, Rami Elhanan – but Apeirogon strives to do much more than just tell their two stories. It examines their lives, and the lives of those around them, from many tangential and connected perspectives.

McCann, from Ireland but based in New York, met Aramin and Elhanan while on a trip to the Middle East with the non-profit organisation Narrative 4. He learned that both men had lost their daughters in the conflict, and that they had formed a friendship, united in grief and in efforts to end the Israeli occupation. With the men’s blessing and cooperation, McCann has woven together Apeirogon, a story told in 1001 fragments.

Like McCann’s previous works, including Let the Great World Spin and TransAtlantic, Apeirogon is a work of great ambition, sparking enormous debate among readers and critics. Join McCann as he talks story, empathy and literary mosaic in May.