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To Tell a Story

Series: Canons
Brief Description
Despite their status as intellectual giants of the twentieth century, John Berger and Susan Sontag's artistic collaboration—and intense friendship—remains virtually unknown. Published for the first time, To Tell a Story offers a glimpse into their shared history that spanned nearly a quarter-century. From sources such as... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Published for the first time, John Berger and Susan Sontag's collaboration and correspondence across a quarter-century offers a rare glimpse into the minds of two intellectual giants of the twentieth century

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Despite their status as intellectual giants of the twentieth century, John Berger and Susan Sontag's artistic collaboration—and intense friendship—remains virtually unknown.

Published for the first time, To Tell a Story offers a glimpse into their shared history that spanned nearly a quarter-century. From sources such as their eponymous film broadcast, rare personal letters and archival recordings, the composite fragments build a portrait of a relationship that was often lively and challenging, sometimes trivial, and always affectionate.

Berger and Sontag's voices echo throughout these pages, riffing off the other as they grapple with their respective concerns. Above all, their conversations reveal a deep reciprocal admiration and an exchange of ideas about storytelling, the self and society that informed their own work.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781837262960

Publisher: Canongate Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 12 March 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Canongate Canons

Edition: Main - Canons

Illustration: integrated black and white images throughout

Contributors:

  • Edited by Benoît Bourreau

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 134g

Pages: 160

About the Author

John Berger was born in London in 1926. His seminal Ways of Seeing was one of the most influential books on art in the twentieth century. His many books, innovative in form and far-reaching in their historical and political insight, include To the Wedding, King and the Booker Prize-winning novel, G. He died, aged ninety, in January 2017.

Susan Sontag was born in Manhattan in 1933 and studied at the universities of Chicago, Harvard and Oxford. Her non-fiction works include Against Interpretation, On Photography, Illness as Metaphor, AIDS and its Metaphors, Regarding the Pain of Others and At the Same Time. She was also the author of four novels, including The Volcano Lover and In America, as well as a collection of stories and several plays. Her books have been translated into thirty-two languages. In 2001 she was awarded the Jerusalem Prize for the body of her work and in 2003 she received the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature and the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. She died in December 2004.

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