Reading Group and author Q&A: 'The Half-Life of Snails', Philippa Holloway

The AiNA reading group meets every two months online, for a 1 hour discussion of a text that help us think about the complexities of living in the nuclear age. We read fiction, non-fiction, poetry and more. Please join us online on April 30th 2024, from 19:00 - 20:00, for an online discussion of 'The Half-Life of Snails' with author Philippa Holloway.

About the book:

Two sisters, two nuclear power stations, one child caught in the middle...

When Helen, a self-taught prepper and single mother, leaves her young son Jack with her sister for a few days so she can visit Chernobyl's Exclusion Zone, they both know the situation will be tense. Helen opposes plans for a new power station on the coast of Anglesey that will take over the family's farmland, and Jennifer works for the nuclear industry and welcomes the plans for the good of the economy.

But blood is thicker than heavy water, and both want to reconnect somehow, with Jack perhaps the key to a new understanding of one another.

Yet while Helen is forced to face up to childhood traumas, and her worst fears regarding nuclear disaster, during a trip that sees her caught up in political violence and trapped in Chernobyl's Exclusion Zone during the 2014 Euromaidan revolution, Jennifer too must discover that even the smallest decision can have catastrophic and long-lasting effects, both within the nuclear industry, and within the home.

And Jack isn't like other five-year olds... as they will both discover with devastating consequences.

Event Details:

• Date: April 30th 2024
• Time: 7pm-8pm
• Location: Online

Participation is easy! We'll gather on our virtual platform where you can contribute your thoughts, ask questions, and connect with fellow artists, activists and researchers.