From Salman Rushdie to RuPaul the Southbank Centre’s literature season line-up

From internationally acclaimed authors and artists to historians and journalists, the Southbank Centre is hosting a stellar lineup for its upcoming literature season.

The multi-arts centre on the South Bank has announced a spring season of literature and spoken word to run from March to June 2024.

With authors, artists, historians, politicians and journalists set to take the stage the season is sure to tap into today’s topical issues, ranging from disinformation to capitalism.

Brand new fiction and non-fiction will be presented with events, including comedy acts, live music and DJ sets.

Ted Hodgkinson, head of literature and spoken word, said: “From Salman Rushdie to RuPaul, Kazuo Ishiguro to Maggie Nelson, this is a season brimming with must-see moments, shedding new light on iconic cultural figures and, in turn, the world around us.

“This programme offers unique events interweaving spoken word and music, alongside talks illuminating the historical underpinnings of the present and uplifting storytelling about experiences which are often underrepresented in literature.”

UK exclusives in the season include Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie who will discuss his new memoir Knife in which, for the first time, he candidly shares an account of the attack on August 12 2022 — and its aftermath.

This event will see Rushdie speaking virtually, combined with live readings from actors and chaired by author and critic Erica Wagner live on stage. Audiences can join the hybrid event in the Queen Elizabeth Hall or for free through a global live stream.

In An Evening With Kazuo Ishiguro and Stacey Kent, the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro will discuss his 17-year-long collaboration with world-renowned jazz singer Stacey Kent, revealing how integral music and songwriting have been to his fiction writing.

The event celebrates the publication of The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain: Lyrics for Stacey Kent with a wide-ranging interview with the author and Kent performing a selection of Tomlinson-Ishiguro songs.

London-exclusive events are also lined up, featuring international drag superstar RuPaul, bringing his most revealing and personal work to date.

The House of Hidden Meanings is an intimate memoir of growing up black, poor and queer and his journey of discovering the power of performance, finding family and self-acceptance.

If fiction is more your style, the Southbank Centre hosts a line-up of eclectic authors, artists and musicians, including Jarvis Cocker, Sheena Patel and Musa Okwonga, to celebrate An Evening with Rough Trade Books with a night of music, dance, poetry, animation and readings by Rough Trade Books.

Tickets and event dates can be found here:  www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Pictured top: From left, Salman Rushdie and RuPaul (Picture: Rachel Eliza Griffiths/Courtesy of the artist)