Circular Argument: A Creative Exploration of Power and Space

This book explores power and hierarchies in space through a research piece and a fictional novel, combining creative writing, criminology, and architecture. Part one examines the obsession with the circular as an architectural gesture, while part two follows the story of a disgruntled architect and a prisoner's escape plan. It disrupts how we think about space and power by injecting new energy and creative perspectives into academic research.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 16 August 2021
Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited

This groundbreaking book seamlessly blends two distinct parts, one critical in the form of a research piece and the other creative in the form of a fictional novel. Spanning creative writing, criminology, and architecture, it delves into the exploration and exploitation of power and hierarchies within space.

Part one, titled "A Circular Argument," is informed by a series of reflections on the author's work as a prison teacher. It delves into the obsession with the circular as an architectural gesture, combining containment and transparency. The author examines spatial hierarchies across time, from the ideal planned city of the Middle Ages to the all-seeing eye of modern digital society.

Part two, titled "The Out," follows the fictional story of a disgruntled architect, a clever prisoner, and an ingenious escape plan. It explores how the complexities and surprises of human interaction color and change the supposedly watertight systems of social control that society designs. The novel disrupts our understanding of space and power by injecting new energy and creative perspectives into traditional academic research.

This practice-led book represents an innovative exploration between critical and creative approaches, as well as between multiple social and spatial hierarchies. It challenges readers to think beyond traditional boundaries and encourages a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between power, space, and society.

Weight: 360g
Dimension: 153 x 229 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800713857