The second part of the event acquainted me with The Fall, a rock band born in the 70s, whose music was based on repetitions and inspired by the lyrics of  Mark E. Smith. Quite raw and noisy for an Opera addicted like me. But I was open to the new and modern, maybe a bit too modern for my old fashioned musical taste.

Dave Simpson, a music journalist, tracked down the people who played, sang and worked in the band, a sort of extended large family.

A drummer, Michael Lee, talked about his long experience in the band, reporting anecdotes, their way of composing and working, their life together.

An enjoyable evening. I learned a lot and had a clever dedication on my new book by Michel Faber.

 

Carla Scarano D’Antonio

Saturday 17th October, Storey Auditorium
The Fall and Michel Faber,

 

I did not know much about The Fall before attending the event of the Litfest on Saturday 17th October at 9:30 pm at the Storey Auditorium. I went there because I had received and email by the Litfest saying that Michel Faber was there too.

I had read his bestseller The Crimson Petal and the White translated in Italian when I was still in Rome and I could not forget the great impression the book had given me at the time. I wanted to meet him.

The event was divided in two parts: part one Fiction, part two Facts (about The Fall).

Peter Wild introduced the evening and the collection of short stories inspired by The Fall songs: Perverted by Language: Fiction inspired by The Fall. Michel Faber read his story: Fortress/Deer Park. An unknown ambience of lavish rich people suddenly materialized in the quiet auditorium while I was sipping an innocent J2O, orange and passion fruit. His evocative detailed style and the images racing one after the other built up a concrete despicable world of unbelievably wealthy people. Suspense thickened the air. The slightly surreal preparation for the deer-hunt and the deer-hunt itself were brilliant examples of a visionary truth becoming ghastly real through fiction. Once more I was fascinated by Michel Faber’s stories and his uncompromising message. The originality of his fiction convinces me every time that here is an artist, truly inspired and sincere.