Join David Mitchell, the award-winning author of CLOUD ATLAS and THE BONE CLOCKS, and former book editor of the Los Angeles Times Carolyn Kellogg in this virtual event to celebrate the paperback release of Mitchell's UTOPTIA AVENUE. The book follows a British band emerging from London’s psychedelic scene in 1967 and has been named "one of the best books of the year" by The Washington Post, NPR, USA Today, The Guardian, among others. During this event, Mitchell and Kellogg will discuss the behind the scenes making of UTOPIA AVENUE and how it relates to other books in the “Mitchellverse,” as well as unpack the many music cameos that happen in the book and the kaleidoscopic rock and roll backdrop. After the discussion, Mitchell will answer audience questions. Save your spot in the free event below.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The long-awaited new novel from the bestselling, prize-winning author of Cloud Atlas and The Bone Clocks.
New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • “Mitchell’s rich imaginative stews bubble with history and drama, and this time the flavor is a blend of Carnaby Street and Chateau Marmont.”—The Washington Post
“A sheer pleasure to read . . . Mitchell’s prose is suppler and richer than ever . . . Making your way through this novel feels like riding a high-end convertible down Hollywood Boulevard.”—Slate
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • NPR • USA Today • The Guardian • The Independent • Kirkus Reviews • Men’s Health • PopMatters
Utopia Avenue is the strangest British band you’ve never heard of. Emerging from London’s psychedelic scene in 1967, and fronted by folk singer Elf Holloway, blues bassist Dean Moss and guitar virtuoso Jasper de Zoet, Utopia Avenue embarked on a meteoric journey from the seedy clubs of Soho, a TV debut on Top of the Pops, the cusp of chart success, glory in Amsterdam, prison in Rome, and a fateful American sojourn in the Chelsea Hotel, Laurel Canyon, and San Francisco during the autumn of ’68.
David Mitchell’s kaleidoscopic novel tells the unexpurgated story of Utopia Avenue’s turbulent life and times; of fame’s Faustian pact and stardom’s wobbly ladder; of the families we choose and the ones we don’t; of voices in the head, and the truths and lies they whisper; of music, madness, and idealism. Can we really change the world, or does the world change us?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
David Mitchell is the author of the novels Ghostwritten, number9dream, Cloud Atlas, Black Swan Green, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, The Bone Clocks, and Slade House. Twice shortlisted for the Booker Prize, in 2018 he won the Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence.
Carolyn Kellogg is formerly Books editor of the Los Angeles Times. A writer and critic now based in the Hudson Valley, she served as a judge for the National Book Award in nonfiction in 2019. Her work has been published widely, including in the NY Times, Virginia Quarterly Review and the Boston Globe. She can be found on Twitter @paperhaus.
