Agnes Lidbeck for Supporting Act

Join us for an evening with Agnes Lidbeck to celebrate her new novel, Supporting Act, in partnership with Bath-based publisher Peirene Press. Agnes will also be joined by her translator, Nichola Smalley.

The social contract is not negotiated at an individual level. It is a universal set of rules that must be followed for society to function. The contract stipulates that the individual, henceforth known as The Woman, is required to play three roles. The Woman must be a mother. The Woman must be desirable. The Woman must be a caregiver.

When Anna gives birth, she takes on a new role. Everything is centred around her children. As her marriage collapses, she begins an affair with an aging author, only to find herself once again in the role of caregiver. Supporting Act is the study of a woman performing the roles society asks of her, even as they overlap, contradict and subsume each other.

Agnes Lidbeck is one of the most prominent and versatile contemporary Swedish writers. Her works include the novels Gafoerlorad (At a Loss, 2019), Foerlaten (The Rift, 2018), Nikes bok (Nikky's Book, 2021), and All min karlek (All my Love, 2023), and the poetry collection Ur (From, 2018).