Question 7 by Richard Flanagan is a genre-defying work that intertwines memoir, history, and literary reflection. Question 7 was awarded the 2024 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, making Flanagan the first author to win both this award and the Booker Prize.
Flanagan begins with a personal account of his 2012 visit to Japan, where he investigates his father’s experiences as a prisoner of war near Hiroshima during World War II. This journey serves as a springboard into broader discussions, from the development of nuclear physics to Flanagan’s own near-death experience on the Franklin River.
His inventive style is a genre-defying work that resists easy categorization, highlighting Flanagan’s ability to blend various literary forms into a cohesive narrative, pulling at threads connected to key, often traumatic events, creating a complex tapestry of memory and history.
Overall, Question 7 is a profound exploration of the narratives that define us, blending personal memoir with broader historical and literary contexts, inviting readers to reflect on the interconnectedness of individual lives and the larger forces that shape our world.
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