Margaret Atwood Trailblazer

Booker prize-winning, Canadian author Margaret Atwood appeared at a unique literary performance with music to launch her new novel The Year of the Flood. Set in the same dystopian world as her previous novel Oryx and Crake, it tells the story of God’s Gardeners – a religion devoted to the preservation of all species. The Gardeners have long predicted the Waterless Flood, which arrives in the form of a global pandemic obliterating most of human life. The survivors are left to battle over an existence amongst themselves and the other gene-spliced life forms now running amok – will the human race make it, and more to the point, should it?

Margaret was joined by singers from local community choirs and celebrated actors Kevin Harvey (Olivier-nominated for his role in Dael Orlandersmith's Yellowman at Liverpool's Everyman and London's Hampstead theatres), Samantha Giles (best known as Bernice in ITV’s Emmerdale, Samantha has also played many theatre roles, including Helen in the nationwide tour of A Taste of Honey) and Samantha Siddall (starred as Mandy Maguire in the award winning Channel 4 drama Shameless).

This event was part of a UK tour to support the work of the RSPB & BirdLife International and to raise awareness of species decline.

Reviews of the event can be found on the festival blog and Manchester Confidential.

For lots more fascinating information about The Year of the Flood book and tour please visit the official website www.yearoftheflood.co.uk a film of the Year of the Flood Tour is currently in production an you can view a trailer for it at sphinxproductions.com