Rachel Kushner discusses Booker-shortlisted novel ‘Lake of Creation’

Author Rachel Kushner discusses her novel ‘Lake of Creation’, which was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize. The story follows Sadie Smith, an American agent sent to the Gujenna region of southern France to infiltrate a radical commune known as Le Moulin.

The commune, led by philosopher Bruno Lacombe, opposes industrial land devastation and embraces primitivism. Kushner notes that the setting is inspired by the Roussillon region near the Spanish border, drawing on local history and specific landmarks like a castle near Fenouillet to ground the narrative in the area's complex past.