Bibliotopia 2026 | Interview with Lisa Appignanesi and Horatio Clare

Stories and Histories from Psychiatry
Moderated by Michelle Bailat-Jones

Lisa Appignanesi, a British-Canadian writer, journalist and historian, served as president of the English PEN in the UK before becoming President of the Royal Society of Literature in 2016. Exploring themes of the female condition, identity and memory, her multi-award-winningc body of work includes novels and essays, including Memory and Desire (HarperCollins, 1991), Losing the Dead (Chatto & Windus, 1999), and Everyday Madness (4th Estate, 2018). A remarkable work, Mad, Bad and Sad (Virago, 2008) analyses two centuries of the treatment of mental disorders in women, unravelling patriarchal influences and shedding light on the infinite variations of the human psyche.

Horatio Clare is a Welsh author, radio producer and journalist, and presenter of Is Psychiatry Working? On BBC Radio 4. His critically acclaimed essays and travel and nature writing include Down to the Sea in Ships (Chatto & Windus, 2014, Stanford Dolman Prize) and We Came by Sea (Little Toller, 2025). Two autobiographical works – Heavy Light: A Journey Through Madness, Mania and Healing (Chatto & Windus, 2021) and Your Journey Your Way: How to Make the Mental Health System Work For You (Penguin, 2024) – offer a compassionate exploration of the harsh realities of mental illness, from the depths of the psyche to reconciliation with oneself.

Fondation Jan Michalski, Saturday 30 May 2026