Hernan Diaz on Ply: Punk, Power, and the Pulitzer Prize

In this episode, we’re joined by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Argentine author Hernan Diaz to discuss his new novel, Ply, which is set in a distant future, where humankind is on the verge of an evolutionary transformation.

At the centre of the story is an orphan known only as a ‘Pincher’, who steals electricity from the grid and sells it on the black market, helping to power underground gigs for artists across the city.

The book marks a striking departure for Diaz, whose previous novel, Trust, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. In our conversation, he explains why he refuses to compromise as a writer, his inexorable pull towards 19th-century British fiction, and the circumstances that led him to write at least part of the book at the desk of the legendary Swedish director Ingmar Bergman.

Hosted by Ryan Edgington. Produced by Lily Woods and Matt Hennessey.