Birds Without Wings, Salisbury Playhouse
AS part of Salisbury's richly eclectic International Arts Festival, Louis de Bernieres - author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin - proved to be an eloquent and humorous raconteur in conversation with Boyd Tonkin, literary editor of The Independent.
Concentrating mainly on his latest book Birds Without Wings, the author agreed that the title was a metaphor for human freedom - "Plato said that humans were featherless bipeds" - and that the book was similar in theme and location to the popular Corelli's Mandolin.
De Bernieres' next novel will be a rewrite of his first attempt at a book, set in 70s England about "people being horrible to each other - although you could just watch Eastenders for that!"
During audience questions, he concluded the literary discussion by emphasising that "romantic nationalism is unhealthy" and that "people only remember other nations' barbarisms, not their own!"
Salisbury International Arts Festival continues until June 12.
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