Cityread London: Sebastian Faulks in conversation

Novelist, journalist and broadcaster Sebastian Faulks talks to Steven Gale about his work, inspirations and influences with a particular focus on his bestseller A Week in December. This novel, set in London the week before Christmas 2007, follows the lives of seven diverse urbanites challenged to confront the reality of their own lives in the city.

Sebastian Faulks was born and brought up in Newbury, Berkshire. He worked in journalism before starting to write books. He is best known for the French trilogy, The Girl at the Lion d'Or, Birdsong and Charlotte Gray (1989-1997) and is also the author of a triple biography, The Fatal Englishman (1996); a small book of literary parodies, Pistache (2006); and the novels Human Traces (2005) and Engleby (2007). He lives in London with his wife and their three children.

Steven Gale is an arts project manager and consultant based in London.  He has worked at theatres in England and Scotland, and taught at universities in Ireland and the United States.  He was assistant artistic director at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, and assistant director to the renowned Catalan director Calixto Bieito on two theatre productions for the Edinburgh International Festival.  He has chaired author events at literature festivals including Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Bath, Paris and Sydney.

In association with Cityread London, a month-long celebration of reading, with hundreds of events taking place across the capital.