Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-2018) was a celebrated author whose body of work includes 23 novels, 12 volumes of short stories, 11 volumes of poetry, 13 children’s books, five essay collections, and four works of translation. The breadth and imagination of her work earned her six Nebula Awards, seven Hugo Awards, and SFWA’s Grand Master, along with the PEN/Malamud and many other awards. In 2014 she was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and in 2016 joined the short list of authors to be published in their lifetimes by the Library of America.
ABOUT HAY FESTIVAL BOOK CLUB
Timeless titles to offer you a break from the day to day. Can't decide what to read next? Follow your curiosity and join Hay Festival on a journey to imagine the world anew through great literature. Unconstrained by genre or form these are our monthly picks of great books worth reading (or re-reading) right now.
Throughout the month, we'll share interesting links and articles relating to our selection on Instagram channel (@hayfestivalbookclub) and invite you all to get involved with your questions and comments. Each selection will also be marked with a free online event.
If you'd like to recommend a book for consideration, get in touch via bookclub@hayfestival.org.
Happy reading!
Hay Festival Book Club – The Left Hand of Darkness
– Free Online
A lone human emissary journeys from Earth to the planet of Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants can choose – and change – their gender.
His goal is to secure Winter’s inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilisation, but to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and the culture he encounters. Forced into a perilous partnership with an outcast on a journey across the planet’s bitter, whirling snow, he learns how survival, trust and love take shape in a world nothing like his own.
A visionary classic, The Left Hand of Darkness reshaped fiction with its radical exploration of gender, human connection and power. It has frequently been targeted, challenged, and restricted in schools and libraries as part of ongoing censorship efforts.
We are pleased to celebrate this modern classic in support of Banned Books Week UK.
Read it? Loved it? Let us know what you think over on our new Instagram page, @hayfestivalbookclub.
Further reading
How The Left Hand of Darkness Changed Everything, Literary Hub
The Left Hand of Darkness at Fifty, The Paris Review
About the author
Supported by Unwin Charitable Trust
