Barru Unsworth read from his new novel, Land of Marvels (Nan A. Talese; January 6, 2009). The book is set in 1914 and focuses on the attempts by Western nations to control parts of Mesopotamia.

Barry Unsworth is the author of several books, including Pascali’s Island and Sacred Hunger, the joint winner of the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1992.