INSOMNIA

A sublime view of the treasures and torments to be found in wakefulness, this is an entertaining and existential nocturnal reverie in search of lost sleep. Rich in imagery, beautiful, jagged and precise, this is a lyrical, witty and humane exploration of a state we too often consider only superficially. With her new memoir, Marina Benjamin has produced an unsettling account that treats our inability to sleep not as a disorder but as an existential experience that can electrify our understanding of ourselves, and of creativity and love. In her bravura piece of writing, at once philosophical and poetical, the book ranges widely over history and culture, literature and art, entwining the author's personal story spliced with cultural criticism. There are moments of stunning poetry suddenly interrupted by passages of fevered introspection. The book aims to light up the workings of our inner minds in which art, philosophy and science jostle together. 133pp.