Unspeakable
A deeply personal exploration of silence, the taboo and how and why words fail us.
“A beguiling mix of memoir, history, literary criticism and investigative journalism, Unspeakable, is a moving and unprecedented study of the power of silence.”
As a teenager, Harriet stopped speaking at school for almost a year, retreating into herself and communicating only when absolutely necessary. As an adult, she became fascinated by the limits of language and in Unspeakable, asks what makes us silent.
From the inexpressible trauma of trench warfare and the aftermath of natural disaster to the taboo of coming out, she explores how and why words fail us. From the mountains of Nepal to New York’s theatre district she travels the world meeting people who constantly wrestle with language. She studies the work of George Oppen, a poet who couldn’t write a line for twenty-five years, interviews Eve Ensler whose play The Vagina Monologues gave voice to the truths of female sexuality, and meets the founders of The Samaritans who have been listening silently to those in need since the 1950s.
“As the reader will see, it is a particular kind of choreography to weave together these diverse and sometimes divergent topics. But it works. The writing is, at its best, extremely affecting… [A] caring, inquisitive book”
“What a fascinating – and paradoxical – subject to have been chosen by a journalist…a great pleasure to read… [takes] the reader towards an examination of the power, both positive and perilous, of silence.”
“There’s so much interesting stuff here...and the writing is good”
“Shawcross has set herself the challenge of exploring these wordless moments in order to examine how silence moulds our personalities and shapes our lives . . . A compelling idea . . . well-told and engaging”
“Explores what makes us silent, from the aftermath of natural disaster to the taboo of coming out. A heady mix of memoir, history, literary criticism and journalism”
“Elegant . . . Shawcross can certainly write”
For any enquiries email Kirsty McLachlan at Morgan Green Creatives
kirsty@morgangreencreatives.com