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Joanna Kavenna

Winner of the Orange First Novel prize for Inglorious.

Winner of the Orange First Novel prize, Joanna Kavenna’s works include A Field Guide to Reality, The Ice Museum and Inglorious. Her journalism has appeared in the London Review of Books, The Guardian, and the New York Times.

Photo of Joanna Kavenna

Winner of the Orange First Novel prize, Joanna Kavenna’s works include A Field Guide to Reality, The Ice Museum and Inglorious. Her journalism has appeared in the London Review of Books, The Guardian, and the New York Times.

Joanna Kavenna Videos

A figure holding an ornate mirror reflecting a gloomy landscape with bare trees, creating a surreal and enigmatic atmosphere.
Joanna Kavenna,David Malone,Ed Stafford,David Chalmers

In Search Of Ourselves

Is self-discovery a desirable and vital goal?

A surreal illustration of a person's silhouette with a vibrant, colorful landscape emerging from their head, representing creativity and imagination.
Joanna Kavenna,Simon Baron-Cohen,Myriam Francois,Martha Fiennes

Imagining the unimaginable

Is the imagination unlimited?
View from the International Space Station's cupola, showcasing Earth through a circular window with a clear blue sky and visible landmass beneath.
Huw Price,John Ellis,Joanna Kavenna,Robert Rowland Smith

The End of the Theory of Everything

Can we fully describe reality?
An artistic representation of an hourglass filled with sand, surrounded by colorful, swirling patterns resembling time and creativity.
Joanna Kavenna,Rupert Sheldrake,Timothy Morton,Curt Jaimungal

The phantom of the present

On grasping the present
A surreal scene featuring a circular stage with red curtains revealing a bright blue sky and ocean, blending reality with illusion.
Jonathan Derbyshire,Joanna Kavenna,Ray Monk,Paul Boghossian

The Word and the World

What are the limits of language?

Joanna Kavenna Articles

A blurred cityscape with silhouettes of people walking among towering skyscrapers adorned with glowing blue and orange digital patterns and lights.
Joanna Kavenna

Truth is deeper than mathematics
A three-dimensional maze with intricate pathways, set against a vibrant red background, casting shadows that enhance its complexity.
Joanna Kavenna

Labyrinths of reality
A large, intricately designed tower, symbolizing the Tower of Babel, surrounded by people and landscapes, depicting the theme of humanity’s ambition and divine intervention.
Joanna Kavenna

The Word and the World
A man in a bowler hat holding a pocket watch stands in front of a mirror, reflecting multiple images of himself in a surreal looping effect.
Joanna Kavenna

The Riddle of the Self
A silhouette of a person free-falling above a misty landscape, showcasing a dramatic aerial view over a river and forested area.
Joanna Kavenna

Live Fast, Die Young
A narrow passage between two tall stacks of vintage books in a cozy, dimly lit library, inviting exploration and discovery.
Joanna Kavenna

Why Facts Elude Us

More Videos

An illustration of a human profile showing anatomical details with a gear mechanism representing the brain, symbolizing the connection between biology and machinery.
Joanna Kavenna,Colin Blakemore,David Malone,Rupert Sheldrake

Beyond the Machine

Metaphors of the body
A silhouette of a man playing a piano, dressed in a white shirt, with soft, dramatic lighting creating an artistic atmosphere.
Joanna Kavenna,Shahidha Bari,Andrew Motion,Lowkey

The Key to Creativity

Do restrictions breed inventiveness?
Close-up of a petri dish containing various microbial growths and colonies, showcasing a diverse array of shapes and textures in a laboratory setting.
Joanna Kavenna,Peter Atkins,Tim Lewens,Phillip Dodd

Truth and the Universe

What are the limits of science?
A smiling man with blonde hair in a suit, giving a slight smirk, likely during a speech or event.
Joanna Kavenna,John Ellis,Phillip Dodd,Barry Barnes

The Prejudice of Facts

Are there no facts, only interpretations?
A dynamic celestial scene featuring numerous figures in motion, depicting mythological themes with dramatic lighting and swirling clouds.
Joanna Kavenna,Angie Hobbs,,Hannah Dawson

Fantasies and Lies

Are myths dangerous?
A woman with short, light brown hair and red glasses speaks while gesturing, wearing a black blazer over a yellow top.
Iain McGilchrist,Peter Hacker,Joanna Kavenna,Henrietta Moore

The New Romantics
A surreal landscape features a large human eye above a waterfall, with dark clouds, stars, and a silhouetted tree. Birds fly across the scene, enhancing its dreamlike quality.
Roger Penrose,Robert Rowland Smith,Joanna Kavenna,Hilary Lawson

Beyond Reality

What are the limits of our understanding?
A surreal painting featuring a skyline with two buildings on either side and five empty window frames amidst a cloudy sky.
Joanna Kavenna,Julian Barbour,Alok Jha,Joseph Diekemper

The Dance of Time

Is the present an illusion?
A smooth stone centered in concentric circles of fine sand, creating a tranquil and meditative effect. The warm tones suggest a serene environment.
Joanna Kavenna,Hilary Lawson,Parashkev Nachev,Katie Derham

True to Myself

Morality, virtues & consequences
A dramatic landscape featuring rocky terrain under ominous, dark clouds with a hint of reddish light illuminating the sky.
Frank Furedi,Joanna Kavenna,Jasper Fforde

Visions of Apocalypse

Is the end always nigh?
A young girl in a yellow dress watches as a fantastical creature leaps from a ledge, surrounded by floating bubbles and a serene blue sky.
Joanna Kavenna

A Field Guide to Reality

Overcoming the tyranny of realism in literature
A person stands barefoot on the edge of a diving board, overlooking a calm blue swimming pool.
Joanna Kavenna,Peter York,Jim Crace,Paul Rose

Live Fast, Die Young

Should we take more risks?
Two individuals engage in a discussion while seated in plush armchairs, with one gesturing expressively and the other attentively listening. Subtle lighting enhances the intimate atmosphere.
Hilary Lawson,Joanna Kavenna,Bracha Ettinger,Julian Stallabrass

Awake in the Universe

Art's ability to raise us from slumbers
A street sign reading
Robert Rowland Smith,Joanna Kavenna,Richard Sennett,Chris Huhne

Paradise City

Can we build better metropoles?
A young man with a distressed expression, hands on his head, and duct tape over his mouth labeled
Joanna Kavenna,Hilary Lawson,Jamie Whyte,Parashkev Nachev

Error, Lies and Adventure Part 2
A woman with short, curly hair wearing a green and white patterned shirt, appearing engaged in conversation.
Barry C. Smith,Robert Rowland Smith,Joanna Kavenna,John Naish,Harriet Lamb

The Famine and the Feast

Why are we obsessed with food scarcity?
A man wearing a brown hat and a tweed jacket speaks into a microphone, with a blue background and a decorative chair behind him.
Joanna Kavenna,Razia Iqbal,Martin Kemp,Stephen Frears

How To Change the World

Arts power to pack political clout is clear. But is this a reduction of great art?

An artistic representation of an hourglass filled with sand, surrounded by colorful, swirling patterns resembling time and creativity.
Joanna Kavenna,Rupert Sheldrake,Timothy Morton,Curt Jaimungal

The phantom of the present

On grasping the present
A surreal scene featuring a man playing a flute, an oversized floating chair, and two cats leaping through a splash of water, all in an eerie green hue.
Joanna Kavenna,Rebecca Roache,Bahar Gholipour,Rory Sutherland

Taking leave of reason

Is rationality as vital as we thought?
A stylized warrior in ancient armor, poised for action with a curved weapon, set against a bold red background.
Meg Rosoff,Joanna Kavenna,Soma Ghosh,Roger Bolton

The return of the Colosseum

The morality of salacious entertainment

A close-up of a hand holding a glass with ice and whiskey, as liquid splashes out against a dark background.
Joanna Kavenna,David Nutt,Güneş Taylor,Anna Waldstein

Dangerous desires

Must we adopt a new attitude to social drugs?
A surreal illustration of a person's silhouette with a vibrant, colorful landscape emerging from their head, representing creativity and imagination.
Joanna Kavenna,Simon Baron-Cohen,Myriam Francois,Martha Fiennes

Imagining the unimaginable

Is the imagination unlimited?
A person stands holding a large mirror that reflects a blue sky with clouds, creating a surreal visual effect.
Joanna Kavenna,Betty Sue Flowers,Bahar Gholipour,James Tartaglia

Your true self

Is the idea of an authentic self a fundamental mistake?
A solitary figure stands on a barren landscape, gazing up at a stunning view of Earth floating above against a dark starry background.
Raymond Tallis,Joanna Kavenna,Simon Blackburn,Hilary Lawson

Metaphysics, morality and mayhem

Which theories should we prioritise?
Two stylized hands reaching towards each other, with a colorful, pixelated effect against a vibrant yellow background.
Julian Baggini,Joanna Kavenna,James Ladyman,Peter Atkins

The world that disappeared

Can we be sure there is a physical reality?
A vibrant flower blooms inside a cracked cage, surrounded by colorful, cracked soil and illuminated by soft light, symbolizing resilience and hope amidst confinement.
Joanna Kavenna,Myriam Francois,Jack Symes,Jolyon Maugham

Creativity and freedom

Should there be limits on creative freedom?
A surreal image of a faceless figure in a suit with a sunset-colored sphere for a head, standing on a flat horizon with water and a distant red object.
Joanna Kavenna,Mark Salter,Sarah Garfinkel,Ian Parker

The trauma of everyday

Have mundane setbacks become catastrophic?
A vibrant, abstract illustration featuring figures with exaggerated limbs and geometric shapes, expressing themes of struggle and intensity against a blue background.
Joanna Kavenna,Peter Tatchell,Sophie Scott-Brown,Florence Read

Naming and shaming

Do we need shame for social progress?
Silhouette of a human head with a compass inside, set against a textured background featuring geometric lines and circles, symbolizing navigation and introspection.
Joanna Kavenna,Simon Blackburn,Ruth Chang

Moral facts and moral fantasy

Is our search for an objective morality misguided?
A green speech bubble on a yellow background featuring three crumpled yellow pieces of paper inside the bubble, symbolizing communication or ideas.
Hilary Lawson,Joanna Kavenna,Raymond Tallis,Jennifer Ackerman

Language, animals and us

The uniqueness of human language
A hand holding a quill pen perches atop a towering stack of books, framed by industrial buildings and chains against an orange backdrop.
Joanna Kavenna,Ruth Padel,John Ralston Saul,Rana Mitter

Tyranny of the pen

Is the age of the pen over?
A black and white hand reaching out contrasts against a colorful hand extended towards it, set against a vibrant sunset sky.
Joanna Kavenna,Myriam Francois,Massimo Pigliucci,Tommy J. Curry

The good and the evil

Can we make ultimate moral judgements?
A somber clown with green hair and a black hat, featuring bold white face paint, a red nose, and minimal colorful accents.
Clare Moriarty ,Joanna Kavenna,Barry C. Smith,Justin Smith

The True and the Trivial

Can comedy convey profound ideas?

Joanna Kavenna,Raymond Tallis,Hilary Lawson,Maria Balaska

The unsayable

Can language adequately capture reality?
A composite image featuring Jean-Paul Sartre, a philosopher with a pipe, and James Baldwin, an author resting his chin on his hand, set against a vibrant abstract background.
Rana Mitter,Joanna Kavenna,Jonathan Webber,Marie-Elsa Bragg

Sartre vs Baldwin: The unknown other

Can we only know ourselves?
A neon outline of two theatrical masks, one smiling and one frowning, set against a dark background, symbolizing the performing arts and drama.
Rana Mitter,Joanna Kavenna,Paul Dolan,Aaron Bastani

The happiness delusion

In search of the aim of life
A woman stands next to a
Shoshana Zuboff,Joanna Kavenna,Stephanie Hare,Angela Eagle,Bim Afolami

Metropolis Untamed

Tech giants on collision course with democracy
A stylized neon logo featuring a lips and tongue design, surrounded by swirling blue patterns, reminiscent of rock music aesthetics.
Joanna Kavenna,Mark Salter,Rupert Sheldrake,Minna Salami,Olivia Fane

Trash, trends and the transcendent

Has culture lost sight of the sublime?

More Articles

A surreal black-and-white illustration of a hand holding a reflective sphere that captures an interior scene and the figure of a man resembling an artist or thinker.
Joanna Kavenna

In Search of Ourselves
A large, intricately designed tower, symbolizing the Tower of Babel, surrounded by people and landscapes, depicting the theme of humanity’s ambition and divine intervention.
Joanna Kavenna

The Word and the World
Black and white illustration depicting a landscape divided by a river, with flocks of birds flying above distinct rural and urban scenes, creating a visual contrast.
Joanna Kavenna

Beyond Reality
A white cat perched on a tree branch amidst bare branches, with a cloudy sky in the background.
Joanna Kavenna

High Irony
A surreal landscape featuring a floating island with lush greenery and waterfalls cascading into darkness, set against a dramatic sky filled with storm clouds.
Joanna Kavenna

Myth and Modernity
A silhouette of a person free-falling above a misty landscape, showcasing a dramatic aerial view over a river and forested area.
Joanna Kavenna

Live Fast, Die Young