Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency

Olivia Laing's collection of essays, Funny Weather, argues that art can change how we see the world, expose inequality, and offer new ways of living. It features profiles of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Georgia OKeeffe, interviews with Hilary Mantel and Ali Smith, love letters to David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, and explores loneliness and technology, women and alcohol, sex, and the body.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2021
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

In this captivating collection of essays, acclaimed writer and critic Olivia Laing presents a compelling and politically charged argument for the significance of art, particularly in the tumultuous times of the twenty-first century. It is often believed that art has no power to bring about change. However, Laing challenges this notion in her book, Funny Weather. Through a diverse range of essays, Laing explores various themes, including the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Georgia OKeeffe, interviews renowned authors such as Hilary Mantel and Ali Smith, pens love letters to iconic figures like David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, and delves into topics such as loneliness, technology, women, alcohol, sex, and the body. Written with originality and empathy, Funny Weather celebrates art as a powerful force for resistance and healing, offering a much-needed antidote to the challenging political landscape we find ourselves in.

Weight: 262g
Dimension: 130 x 196 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529027655