Her new book is about the secret agent Sadie, who infiltrates a group of environmental activists in the French countryside. Her superiors want her to provoke the activists into an uprising, but Sadie finds herself drawn to the teachings of the group’s spiritual leader. Creation Lake weaves a seamless tale of espionage, philosophy and activism. And knowing Kushner, it will definitely be a page-turner.

The American writer Rachel Kushner gained an international reputation with her 2013 novel The Flamethrowers, which was shortlisted for the National Book Award and named ‘book of the year’ by countless critics. In 2018, she published The Mars Room, which was equally well-received, and her long-awaited next novel will be released this summer. Kushner’s work is renowned for its rich characters, detailed historical research, and the merciless ‘hardness’ of her prose.

During this ILFU Book Talk, Roos van Rijswijk will interview Kushner, following an introduction by Gijs Wilbrink. Gijs is a big fan of her work, and The Flamethrowers inspired his own debut novel De beesten.