Michel Faber

Michel Faber on Listen

We cannot wait to welcome Michel Faber, critically acclaimed author of The Crimson Petal and the White and The Book of Strange New Things. This October, Michel will delight with his debut work of non-fiction, Listen: On Music, Sound and Us.

There are countless books on music with much analysis given to musicians, bands, eras and/or genres. But rarely does a book delve into what's going on inside us when we listen. Michel Faber explores two big questions: how we listen to music and why we listen to music. To answer these he considers biology, age, illness, the notion of 'cool', commerce, the dichotomy between 'good' and 'bad' taste and, through extensive interviews with musicians, unlocks some surprising answers.

Listen is a curious and celebratory book that reflects Michel Faber's lifelong obsession with music of all kinds. It promises nothing short of affecting your relationship with the aural world; or, in Michel's own words: 'I'm not here to change your mind about Dusty Springfield or Shostakovich or Tupac Shakur or synthpop. I'm here to change your mind about your mind.'

Michel Faber is the award-winning author of seven novels, three short-story collections and a poetry book. In addition to the Whitbread-shortlisted Under the Skin, he is the author of the highly acclaimed The Crimson Petal and the White and The Book of Strange New Things, which was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award and won the Saltire Book of the Year Award. Born in Holland, brought up in Australia, he now lives in the UK.