One who works with words
Lydia Davis had her audience enthralled yesterday evening at the London Review Bookshop, where she read a selection of published and new works. ‘Letter to a Funeral Parlour’ was the first of many stories to send waves of laughter through the packed venue. The author delivered a hearty combination of comedy, reflection and philosophy; her rich, expressive voice giving added weight and life to her epigrammatic prose. Naturally, the discussion which followed focussed on her unique style and her work as translator as well as issues of identity – a theme explored in her final piece ‘Goodbye Louise, Or Who I Am’.
The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis was published by Hamish Hamilton earlier this month and has been praised by reviews in the Guardian, Independent and New Statesman.