referring to enoch powell.ech enoch powell and the rivers of a speech in 1968. suddenly sophie, who a5 speech in 1968. suddenly sophie, who as you say, is from a different generation, different background, a whole different outlook on life, ju5t whole different outlook on life, just kind of freezers in her seat and thinks, how can this conver5ation and thinks, how can this conversation even and thinks, how can this conver5ation even proceed ? and thinks, how can this conver5ation even proceed? —— freezes. tho5e conver5ation even proceed? —— freezes. those are the sorts of divides... i have jotted down, it is so divides... i have jotted down, it is so telling. you say, they look at each other, they live cheek byjowl in the same country but they live in different univer5e5, universes 5eparated different univer5e5, universes separated by war, infinitely higher, in permeable, and wall built out of fear and 5u5picion. i wonder at you a5 fear and 5u5picion. i wonder at you asa fear and 5u5picion. i wonder at you a5 a

referring to enoch powell. referring to enoch powell and the rivers of blood speech in 1968. from a different generation, different background, a whole different outlook on life, just kind of freezes in her seat and thinks, how can this conversation even proceed? those are the sorts of divides... i havejotted it down, it is so telling. you say, "they look at each other, they live cheek byjowl in the same country but they live in different universes, universes separated by a wall, infinitely high, impermeable, a wall built out of fear and suspicion." i wonder if you as a novelist, if you feel that this book and your ruminations on britain today are about trying to break down that wall, or to mix the metaphor, to build some sort of bridge between two sides which, frankly, if you look at parliament today, just yell at each other and have no ability to listen and find common ground. yeah, i don't know. i am skeptical about the direct political effect that fiction can have. i am sceptical that people really change their minds very radically or change their beliefs very radically a