London Review Bookshop Podcast

Ali Smith & Sarah Wood: Gliff

May 14, 2025
Ali Smith, a celebrated Scottish author known for her experimental narrative style, joins Sarah Wood, an artist and filmmaker, for an engaging discussion. They dive into Smith's latest novel, Gliff, exploring how contemporary issues manifest in a dystopian landscape. The conversation highlights the significance of language during crises, the transformative power of storytelling, and the enduring connection between humans and nature. Personal anecdotes enrich their dialogue, emphasizing the vital role of art in confronting societal challenges.
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INSIGHT

Multiple Meanings of Glyph

  • The Scottish word 'glyph' contains over 50 meanings ranging from a momentary glance to a synonym for spliff.
  • Ali Smith uses this to explore how language can seem meaningless yet overflow with meaning and evolve continually.
INSIGHT

Language and Meaningfulness

  • Language in a novel cannot be meaningless; even the smallest words hold significance.
  • The novel critiques the deliberate reduction of meaning in language and society's attempt to render things meaningless.
INSIGHT

Untranslatable Words Show Identity

  • Some words, like the untranslatable 'sleep' in another language, highlight cultural identity differences.
  • Translators struggle with such words but help give a new life to novels in other languages while preserving family resemblance.
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