Unholy: Two Jews on the News Howard Jacobson - Unholy Conversations
Apr 28, 2026
Howard Jacobson, Booker Prize–winning British novelist and critic, reflects on rage, friendship-loss, and safety after October 7. He discusses why he turned to comic fiction for a serious subject. Short, sharp conversations cover satire, public protests, personal fears in London and Manchester, and the challenge of truth and knowledge in debates about Zionism.
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Rage Became A Novelistic Distance
- Howard Jacobson says rage after October 7 felt like a form of madness that drove him to watch and scream at media constantly.
- He turned that energy into fiction by deliberately distancing himself from direct autobiography to avoid a tract and create a novel.
Losing Friends Over A Newspaper Piece
- Jacobson recounts losing friends after an Observer article criticizing BBC narratives and being accused of rejoicing in Palestinian deaths.
- He describes receiving predictable angry emails from acquaintances and parting company with several people over that piece.
Exaggeration Reveals Absurdity Not Falsehood
- Jacobson defends using comic exaggeration (e.g., street dancing and Prosecco) to convey absurdity and to 'soften' his own rage.
- He argues exaggerated scenes can expose underlying madness and make serious points via satire.
