Sarah Churchwell & Erica Wagner | Celebrating The Great Gatsby at 100

Sat 26 Apr 2025 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Sarah Churchwell Erica Wagner
The Great Gatsby
erica wagner
Sarah Churchwell long
Tom Gatti

Marking the centenary of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, often hailed as the great American novel, join Sarah Churchwell and Erica Wagner as they delve into the myths and truths surrounding Fitzgerald, his iconic tale, and the Jazz Age it immortalises. This novel, emblematic of an entire era, paints a picture of illicit desire, grand illusions, and lost dreams, capturing the fleeting world of extravagant parties, jazz, and the intertwining of money and deceit.

In her centennial edition, Churchwell provides an authoritative new introduction to The Great Gatsby, offering fresh perspectives on the novel while debunking persistent myths about Fitzgerald and his work. This special edition is a collector’s dream, featuring facsimiles from the manuscript and proofs, alongside rich historical and cultural context that deepens our understanding of both the novel and the era it encapsulates.

Join the captivating discussion to explore the enduring legacy of The Great Gatsby and the timeless relevance of its portrayal of ambition, class, and the American Dream.

In conversation with Tom Gatti 

Venue: Old Divinity School

Duration: 1 hour

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  Sarah Churchwell & Erica Wagner | Celebrating The Great Gatsby at 100 Full Price
6pm | 26 April | Old Divinity School
£17
This ticket is only on sale to members at the moment
  Sarah Churchwell & Erica Wagner | Celebrating The Great Gatsby at 100 Concession (U25s, unwaged and those feeling the pinch)
6pm | 26 April | Old Divinity School
£10
This ticket is only on sale to members at the moment
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Author Biography

Sarah Churchwell is Professor in American Literature and Chair of Public Understanding of the Humanities at the School of Advanced Study, University of London. She is the author of Careless People: Murder, Mayhem and The Invention of The Great Gatsby, The Wrath to Come: Gone with the Wind and the Lies America Tells, and Behold, America: A History of America First and the American Dream. 

Erica Wagner was born in New York and moved to the UK in the 1980s becoming literary Editor for The Times in 1996; a position she held for 17 years. In addition to her career at The Times, Erica has published numerous articles and books, her first being Gravity, a collection of short stories; this was followed 3 years later by the publication of Ariel’s Gift. She has also written for The New York Times and frequently appears on television and radio. and has judged many of the literary World’s most prestigious prizes (The Orange Prize, The Whitbread First Novel Award and the Forward Prize). Erica was part of the panel of judges who declared Yann Martel’s Life of Pi the 2002 Man Booker Prize winner.  

Chair Biography