AK Blakemore

The 18th century is drawing to a close, unrest grips France and Sister Perpetue is guarding the patient known as the Glutton of Lyon. He has supposedly eaten all manner of creatures and objects, including a child. The now-frail man, whose real name is Tarare, was cast out and left for dead, igniting his ferocious appetite. His extraordinary abilities to eat made him a marvel throughout the land. AK Blakemore discusses her new novel The Glutton, which takes us to a world of tumult and depravity, wherein the hunger of one peasant is matched only by the insatiable demands of the people of France. Blakemore is author of The Manningtree Witches. Her writing has appeared in the London Review of Books and Poetry Review. Blakemore talks to the Monocle Radio Books Editor, Georgina Godwin.