Intelligence Squared Ian McEwan on Speculative Fiction, Lost Poems and What We Can Know
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Sep 18, 2025 In this engaging discussion, critically acclaimed novelist Ian McEwan dives into his latest work, 'What We Can Know,' a speculative fiction set in a drowned future UK of 2119. He explores the challenges of writing climate fiction, reflecting on the balance between optimism and caution regarding biodiversity and AI risks. McEwan also examines the enduring power of novels and the nuances of climate denial through the lens of a missing poem. His insights into the role of archives and personal responsibility add depth to this thought-provoking conversation.
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The Mask Of Professional Knowledge
- McEwan explores writers portraying expertise beyond their true interests, like a poet who fakes deep nature knowledge.
- This pretense reveals hollowness and the gap between public persona and private knowledge.
Realistic Portrayal Of Climate Denial
- McEwan uses a nuanced depiction of climate denial drawn from real conversations and public rhetoric.
- He compresses familiar denial arguments into a brief, recognisable set of positions in the novel.
Derangement As A Shared Condition
- McEwan coins 'Derangement' to capture widespread, shared madness around climate, media and politics.
- He emphasises collective complicity rather than blaming only elites or corporations.
