Book launch - Cormorant, by Gordon McMullan
Schedule
Thu Jun 04 2026 at 06:00 pm to 07:30 pm
UTC+01:00Location
Cambridge University Press Bookshop | Cambridge, EN
About this Event
How does prejudice grow and mutate? What does intolerance, when transferred from human beings onto animals, do to those creatures? And what, in return, does it do to us? Cormorant is the gripping story of a 'greedy' bird hated across the world, the object of global conflict between the fishing industry on the one hand and environmental science on the other. Gordon McMullan's book reveals that cormorants have been loathed for centuries, a detestation that has metamorphosed over time. Drawing on fields which include literature, art history and zoology, and ranging from America to China and from Britain to Peru, Cormorant explores racism, xenophobia and capitalism through the remarkable story of a bird. McMullan argues that if in the present we are to recognize prejudicial attitudes towards animals and our fellow human beings, then we need to look to the past to understand how those viewpoints have taken hold.
'This is one of the most original, stylish and memorable works of cultural criticism I have read in a long time. McMullan's sheer range of reference is stunningly impressive: he moves with ease and panache between the logo of Liverpool Football Club, the nineteenth-century Peruvian guano trade and Shakespeare. It is beautifully written, packed with startling research and full of jaw-dropping surprises.'
Sir Jonathan Bate, Regents Professor of Literature and Foundation Professor of Environmental Humanities at Arizona State University and author of The Song of the Earth
Event Timings
6.00pm - doors open
6.15pm - talk begins
6.45pm - Q&A
7.00pm - drinks and chat
Accessibility Information
Seating is available for 40 attendees (maximum) plus standing space. Some views may be partially obstructed by architectural columns, bookshelves, etc. but we aim to minimise this where possible. Space will be made available for wheelchair users. Access is via main entrance from street level and there are not steps or ledges.
There are 2 single-person bathrooms, including one large enough to fit a wheelchair with the door closed.
Please get in touch to reserve a seat, or if you have particular needs that you would like us to consider in advance.
Where is it happening?
Cambridge University Press Bookshop, 1-2 Trinity Street, Cambridge, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00
