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One of the greatest living authors Peter Carey talks to The Sunday Times chief fiction reviewer Peter Kemp on the eve of publication of his new novel, The Chemistry of Tears. This is a rare opportunity to hear the twice-Booker-winning author – and one not to be missed by festival-goers. Publication of Carey’s new novel is a landmark literary event and follows the huge success of his last novel, Parrot and Olivier in America. The Chemistry of Tears is a rich tale with historical themes. Based in present-day London and 19th-century Germany, it follows museum conservator Catherine Gehrig as she mourns the loss of her lover of 13 years. Tasked with bringing a 19th-century mechanical creature back to life, she discovers the notebooks of the man who originally commissioned it. The stories are interwoven and together explore the mysteries of human invention, love, feeling, life and death.

At the end of this event, Carey will be presented with the Bodley Medal by Bodley’s Librarian, Dr Sarah Thomas. The medal is awarded by the Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the worlds of culture, science, and communication. Past winners include writer and actor Alan Bennett, film director Lord Richard Attenborough and inventor of the world wide web Sir Tim Berners-Lee.