The novelist’s answers ranged widely across the themes covered by his new book: the life of New York, especially Harlem, in the years around 1960; the shifting forces of history, memory and time; race and class tensions; and perhaps most importantly, how to pull off a good heist! We were fascinated to hear also about Whitehead’s earlier career, including his careful research into the details of language used at different historical periods by different groups of people, such as the multiple meanings of the word ‘scourge’ in the case of his widely praised The Underground Railroad (2016).

At the end of the discussion, students were presented with a wristband giving access to the festival’s evening events, which featured a varied range of literary and musical guests.

We look forward to building on this successful event by continuing to work closely with Crossing Border in future years.