Author Meg Mundell will visit Brimbank to talk about literature that explores the ‘end of the world’. Picture: CONTRIBUTED
By LAURA WAKELY
THE end of the world isn’t exactly an exciting prospect, but the topic has captured the imaginations of authors and readers alike.
Writer Meg Mundell is no exception.
Her debut novel Black Glass plunges readers into a dystopian future where two sisters try to search for each other in a hostile, Big Brother-esque city.
A former Big Issue journalist, Meg took some of the inspiration for her novel from the stories of the magazine vendors, who come from a mix of disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Just seeing the city a little bit through their eyes… it made me realise, there’s dystopian lives happening in our world all the time,” she said.
Meg will be discussing the end of the world phenomenon with academic and writer Dr Joseph Gelfer as part of the Brimbank Writers Festival.
“I think it’s (dystopian literature) popular for a few reasons,” Meg said.
“From a writer’s perspective, when you put your characters under a huge amount of pressure, that’s when you start to find out what someone’s made of.
“That’s when we find out what we’re capable of, how we respond when we’re under pressure, tells us a huge amount about ourselves.
“For readers there’s a bit of a thrill to encounter danger, to feel that in our body and your emotions.”
Meg said the best books in the genre, such as the popular teen series The Hunger Games, work because they have “notes” of hope and courage that lift people out of the sometimes bleak settings.
The 2012 and the End of the World in Literature discussion will take place from 6pm-7pm on Thursday 27 September at Sydenham Library.
For more information contact 9249 4680 or visit www.brimbank.vic.gov.au
