Author Sathnam Sanghera talks about his book on George Michael in conversation with Sarah Newton at the Derby Book Festival.
Sathnam Sanghera is at QUAD on Saturday 14 November, talking about his book Tonight the Music Seems So Loud, which is a portrait of George Michael. He'll be in conversation with Sarah Newton, a Festival Trustee and former journalist, as part of the Derby Book Festival.
Sanghera describes the book as a kaleidoscopic portrait of George Michael and an account of a turbulent period of British history. He's the bestselling author of Empireland, and here he looks at the connection between music and politics, what secrecy does to the soul, and how fame rots the sense of self. The Guardian called it 'an affecting exploration of the troubled genius's impact, packed with anecdote, sharp analysis and social context'.
Ten years after his death, George Michael is still everywhere: 'Last Christmas' is still an annual success, his songs are covered, and he's endlessly memed. As a solo performer and with Wham!, he repeatedly broke boundaries, wrote one of the biggest hits of our age in about an hour in his childhood bedroom, and collaborated with some of the greatest musicians of all time. He lived through the AIDS crisis and one of the most homophobic periods of British history, and when he finally came out he did so boldly and unapologetically.
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It's a talk that sits as much in the politics and social history of the time as it does in the music. The session runs from 5:00pm to 6:00pm at QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, DE1 3AS, and tickets are £10.
