If you like Bergson and time, boy, do I have good news for you!
Some exciting book news and an Einstein anecdote!
Dear friends,
I have some exciting news! This Friday, I will be on BBC Radio 4 to talk about Bergson and time on the Free Thinking programme hosted by Matthew Sweet. You can listen to me live at 9 pm (GMT+1) on Friday June 21st (or whenever you like after the broadcast) here!
And if you thought that was the only exciting news I had for you, well you were wrong! On November 2, I will be at Blackwell’s in Oxford to talk about my biography of Bergson with Nigel Warburton! You can book your free ticket here!
Don’t forget that my book Herald of a Restless World. How Henri Bergson Brought Philosophy to the People, the first biography of Bergson in English, is available for pre-order!
Pre-orders are incredibly important for first-time authors like me because they help build anticipation, boost visibility, create early sales momentum, and garner support from booksellers. Your encouragement is therefore much appreciated!
If you are in North America you can pre-order the book here!
UK readers, you can pre-order the book here!
People in other parts of the world, Amazon is probably your best bet for now (but don’t hesitate to check your local bookshop websites too)!
You can also pre-order the audiobook on Audible (what a time to be alive)!
Over the summer, I will be posting more details, excerpts and stories that did not make it into the book. For now, I leave you with one of my favourite details I found researching the book: an exchange between Albert Einstein and French philosopher Léon Brunschvicg in 1922 that provides an absolute masterclass in how to avoid a question you don't know how to (or don't want to) answer.
When he came to Paris in 1922, Einstein, by then a Nobel laureate, was snubbed by the French physics society because of post WWI anti-German sentiments. He therefore found himself speaking before a crowd of philosophers and a few physicists at the French Philosophical Society. The meeting started with a presentation of Einstein's theories by physicist Paul Langevin, after which the floor was opened for questions. Philosopher Léon Brunschvicg launched into a long question about the links between relativity and Kant’s conception of science. This is where Einstein was truly a genius. He tactfully responded that “each philosopher has their own Kant,” adding, “I cannot answer what you have just said, because the few indications you have given are insufficient for me to know how you interpret Kant.” Admire how Einstein dodged the question in the most elegant and blasé way possible! He somehow makes it clear he is not interested in answering this difficult question while managing to make it Brunschvicg's fault. 10/10, no notes.
Creatively yours,
Emily