Emily St John Mandel: ‘When half the electorate disagrees on basic reality, how do you come back from that?’
- Posted on September 13, 2026
- By The Guardian
- 2 Views
- 1 min read
In brief
Acclaimed author Emily St John Mandel discusses her prescient narrative abilities and explores how deep political polarization threatens societal cohesion. Following Station Eleven's pandemic predictions, Mandel examines the challenges of bridging ideological divides when populations operate from conflicting factual frameworks. The interview delves into her world-building techniques, the role of chance in storytelling, and her observations on America's fractured discourse.
Summary auto-generated by AI from the original publisher's content. Editorial standards.
Emily St John Mandel: ‘When half the electorate disagrees on basic reality, how do you come back from that?’
Her hit novel Station Eleven seemed to predict the pandemic, now the novelist is tackling the future of the US. She talks about chance, world-building and experiencing a ‘tiny bit’ of clairvoyance
