It may be 100 years since William Burroughs was born, but it doesn't look as though his influence will diminish any time soon. Viewed with hindsight, his dangerous but surprisingly long life seems almost as much of a work of art as his novels. Those, meanwhile, remain variously frightening, mysterious, astonishing, impenetrable and fascinating. Junky has proved an excellent choice for this month's reading group, a superb book in its own right and a social commentary that remains provocative today. It's a book that still raises important and difficult questions – just like its author. So I'm delighted to announce that we've got a world-renowned expert to answer a few of them.
Professor Oliver Harris will be joining us at 1pm on Friday 28 February. He is the editor of the definitive edition of Junky (not to mention a masterly introduction), alongside editions of The Yage Letters Redux, Everything Lost: The Latin American Notebook of William S Burroughs; and a 25th-anniversary edition of Queer. He has also written a full-length study of Burroughs, WiIlliam Burroughs and the Secret of Fascination, as well as numerous other essays and articles about Burroughs and the beat movement.
Almost as importantly for our purposes, Oliver Harris is a fine interview subject in his own right, an eloquent pundit and an enthusiastic fan of Burroughs' work. He is the man to ask if you have any questions relating to Burroughs and the beats – and who wouldn't have questions?
Oliver will be here at 1pm – but please feel free to get your questions in early and post now if you don't think you can make the allotted time. Over to you!
