Luke Kennard and Black Bag

Please join us for an evening of enlightenment and entertainment with novelist and poet Luke Kennard, whose recent novel Black Bag (2026) was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and who holds an MA and PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Exeter.

The judging panel of the 2026 Booker Prize (https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/black-bag) said of Black Bag: “Luke Kennard’s of-the-moment satire considers anonymity and disgust, the online rackets of cryptocurrency and energy drinks, and what it means to find love in our unstable times. There’ll be a lot of discussion about what the novel has to say about the state of modern masculinity (fractious; confused) – we also admired its sharply crafted sentences, memorable sex scenes, and humour.”

Luke has published two other novels – The Answer to Everything (2022) and The Transition (2017) – the latter of which was shortlisted for the Desmon Elliott Prize. His books of poetry include The Book of Jonah (2025), Notes on the Sonnets (2021), Cain: Poems (2016), A Lost Expression (2012), The Migraine Hotel (2009), The Harbour Beyond the Movie (2007), and The Solex Brothers (2005). Notes on the Sonnets won the Forward Prize for Best Collection.

Doors open at 5.15pm at One Guinea Street, Exeter, with live jazz from Andy Brown and Marcus Vergette. There will be a cash bar and we request that you reserve a place since we anticipate a full house for this event.

At 6pm Luke will read from Black Bag and talk about his writing, with a book signing to follow from 7.30pm to 8pm. There will be the opportunity to purchase brand new copies of Black Bag at the venue but feel free to bring your own well-thumbed volumes for Luke to sign.

The event ends at 8pm.

We look forward to seeing you on 1 December for a celebration of one of the Department’s most esteemed literary alumni!

Description supplied by the event organiser.