Come and chat to Ian McEwan about his exceptional career and acclaimed novels, including his latest, The Children Act on MONDAY 1 JUNE, 9-10pm

[TillyMumsnetBookClub]

Our May author Ian McEwan is one of Britain's most outstanding, successful and acclaimed novelists, winning multiple awards over his long career. His subtle, unshowy and precise style is perfectly suited to his meticulously researched subjects - from brain surgery in Saturday to MI5 in Sweet Tooth.

In his pacy, gripping new novel, The Children Act, McEwan deftly investigates the legal system through his protagonist Fiona Maye, a High Court judge. When her husband Jack asks for her permission to have an affair, Fiona buries herself in her work in the family courts as a counterbalance to her crumbling personal life. But when an emergency case involving a young Jehovah's Witness boy comes up, Fiona's emotional involvement with him leads to disturbance but also self-knowledge, across both her public and private life.

You can find out more on our book of the month page, and find information covering McEwan's stellar career on his website.

Vintage have 50 copies of THE CHILDREN ACT to give to Mumsnetters: to claim your copy please go to the book of the month page. If you're not lucky enough to bag one of those, you can always get a Kindle version here or paperback here.

We are absolutely thrilled and honoured that Ian will be joining us on Monday 1st June, 9-10pm to discuss THE CHILDREN ACT, his writing life, his many award-winning novels plus much more. Please feel free to discuss the book here throughout the month and then come and meet Ian on the night, ask him a question about any of his novels or simply tell him what you thought of his latest book. Look forward to seeing you on the 1st.

@KittyOSullivanKrauss

Hello Ian, I'm a huge admirer of your work, and really pleased you've come on for a web chat. I really enjoyed The Children Act. I know it was based on a real case, and the story in your novel is very close to how the real events played out (characters different of course), so I wanted to ask if you had to do anything in the way of seeking permission to use the case as the basis of your novel?

No - I took the story a long way from the original.

@OhNoIDontThinkSo

I love how you described women's clothing in Atonement.

Thanks! I get all my information from my wife, Annalena McAfee.

@ImperialBlether

Ian, nobody writes under their real name online, particularly on Mumsnet!

But why not?

So we can be anyone we want to be - a bit like you

Just as the poets preferred Anon, so we prefer our anonymity

@Sarah3kids

~Following on from your previous q&a, your female character was more than plausible.

Being in such a position, one could imagine her to be as she was. Did you ever consider writing the part as a male? As this is a story that could have been written from many different perspectives, so why did you choose hers?

A male judge at the teenager's bedside would present a wholly different situation, especially if that teenager was a girl. Being childless does not generally pierce men the way it does some (or many) women.

Many thanks for the answering my questions, Ian, and for your thoughtful responses so far to everyone else's.

@TheFlyingFauxPas

Thank you so much for your reply and for visiting Mumsnet :) I'm afraid I haven't read The Children's Act yet but having read the discussion on here I'll be getting it. Here let me pass you some You must be hungry all this chatting.

Delicious, and thank you. Having my cake and eating it - ie not getting fat!

Really interesting reading all the questions and answers, thanks so much for coming to talk to us.

@sarahsusannah

Thank you so much for your reply. One more question, partly arising from The Children Act: do you feel that there is any subject which is unsuitable for a novel, or can fiction cast a light on even the darkest topics?

Income tax, VAT, golf...

Yes, very interesting discussion. Thanks for coming and talking to us.

@barricade

Really interesting reading your replies to all the questions. 'The Children Act' touches upon some deep themes - dilemmas encountered negotiating personal versus public duty, the disparities between law and religion; the question of whether one can truly have a full & blessed personal / family life in addition to a mega-successful career, etc.

However, it's interesting that the prominent underlying theme, that of lovers estranged, is one that seen in many of your other books. Usually young lovers (i.e. in ?Chesil Beach?, ?Atonement?, etc.), the difference here is a couple in their late 50?s/early 60?s. However, what they seem to share is emotional upheaval in the form of potentially inappropriate outside relationships.

QUESTION:- Please do not answer if it's too intrusive a question, but how much of your personal experiences come through in your writing ?

The personal stuff is an interesting Q.
It's all there - and none of it is.
The novel is a deeply personal form.

Thank you, very interesting indeed, especially about Sweet Tooth ending. Going to report back to my book club next week about that as we read it last year and think all missed it!

Oh I don't know... accountant caught fiddling his tax returns, murdered by his wife with a golf club and body stuffed in a vat so she can run off with the gardener....:o

I'm deeply sorry to say we have run out of time. Thank you to everyone for taking part tonight, and for all your thoughtful and considered comments. It has been a wonderful, insightful discussion.

Ian, you have been truly generous in your replies and managed to get through a vast number of messages. Thank you very, very much indeed for giving us your time tonight, and for answering our questions with such care.

Most intriguing to hear you are 'writing something very different' - we're looking forward to reading it soon.

Good luck with all the future films and projects and many thanks once more.

Thinking about Fiona being "haunted" by some of her cases, have you ever had a conversation or experience that stayed with you far beyond the rational? Have you every used this for a novel?

Very goo spidermanswoman!

Thank you!

Thank you, Mumsnet, for the opportunity to join this discussion tonight. And, of course, sincere thanks, Ian, for your gracious replies to our questions. Wish you the very best of luck with your future 'productions'.

barricade

Thanks MN :)

*good

Thank you for answering my question, and thanks to everyone who is asking such interesting questions. I think I'll be off to download Sweet Tooth on my kindle later (one I haven't managed to read yet).

Someone earlier asked if judges follow up on consequences of their judgements. I'm not a lawyer, but I have been involved professionally in a case where a judge was very concerned to hear about the outcome following his judgement. It was about the same time as I read The Children Act so it was fascinating to have the juxtaposition of the real and fictional world.

Yeah I'm screenshotting this page...Just in case :o

Disappointed there wasn't time for my questions to be answered but really enjoyed this web chat. Thank you Ian for sparing your time and good luck with your future projects.

Yes, good idea, spidermanswoman