The Power of Literature

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At age 17 I wrote my 'personal statement', a document of (mainly false) self advertisement attempting to convince universities about why I would be a wonderfully diligent, intelligent and successful addition to their student body. Applying to study English Literature and History, I thought it would be suitably brandish and vaguely pretentious to start it off with a quote that combined the two subjects. As I had recently fallen in love with Seamus Heaney's poetry, I chose a line from 'Digging'. 

'The squat pen rests; snug as a gun'. 

I thought this quote aptly portrayed the connection between literature and history, comparing the power a writer has when wielding a pen to the power of a deadly weapon. Five years later, I think this quote has even more weight when considering the contemporary political and literary landscape.

It goes without saying that literature has proven throughout history to have the power to sway minds and mentalities. The power of political propaganda is still as efficient as it ever was, if not more so, and the entertainment and advertisement industries have effectively learnt how to use words to subliminally impact and alter the thoughts of their target audience. Despite this, in today's society the focus on instant news and social media detracts from the power which literature has held and continues to hold in the form of novels, poetry, or short stories.

With the recent implosion of an exploitative film industry and the long-overdue downfall of many sexually predatorial and rapacious individuals, or the distopian-esque reign of a man reminiscent of a cartoon villain (who, incidentally, is also one of those sexually exploitative individuals), literature has become an even greater medium in growing social movements focussed on the empowerment of the silenced, the oppressed, the conflicted. Much contemporary literature published in the last few months (at time of writing) deals with pressing social, cultural and political issues. Through the plethora of established genres, these issues can be dealt with explicitly as, for example, Michael Wolff does in his behind-the-scenes account of the Trumpian White House in his book Fire and Fury; through fiction, as Leila Slimani does when addressing problems regarding society and mental health in Lullaby; or through a autobiographical memoir, as Dolly Alderton does beautifully when dealing with the highs and lows (pun intended) of growing up in Everything I Know About Love (all of these books will be reviewed in the upcoming months). 

While campaigns such as the #MeToo movement provide some solidarity and security for those who have been victimised in the past, literature provides a form of escapism. Through reading, people can distance themselves from painful personal thoughts, and others can attempt to understand, learn about and sympathise with stories of others. As (conveniently) put by F Scott Fitzgerald, the beauty of all literature is that 'You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong'. Literature has the power to provide solace, unite communities, and has the potential to incite societal, cultural and political change. 

The Book Club was born from a hope to create an inclusive atmosphere where literature can continue to empower and unite readers; where we can all learn, recommend, and engage in literary and cultural discussions with one another - and hopefully, we can continue exploring not only the power which literature holds, but the power we each hold individually.