“I have a terrible fear that I write dark novels whether I want to or not. I fear the world is a dark place. That’s one side of the equation. The other side is that when I am writing a novel I so intensely enjoy writing that the world is a very bright place, with lots of beautiful pots and wonderful trees, and people running in the woods. I think I’m extremely double, and I think the novel is double….” – A.S. Byatt on her new novel, The Children’s Book, talking with WOSU’s Kassie Rose

British writer A.S. Byatt (born Antonia Susan Drabble) is the author of several novels, notably Possession for its best seller status and for which she won Europe’s most prestigious literary award, The Man Booker Prize, in 1990. She’s currently short listed for this year’s Booker Award for her new novel The Children’s Book. A.S. Byatt will be speaking at Capital University on October 13th at 7:30 pm in Mees Hall. She recently spoke with Kassie Rose (Christopher Purdy butts in briefly) from her home in London.

Dame Antonia begins the conversation describing the horrors of waiting for the announcement of the winner of the Booker Award, where nerves negate any enjoyment of a sumptuous pre-award banquet.