Sarah Bakewell

Sarah Bakewell, the acclaimed author whose "How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer" serves as a masterful bio of philosophical exploration, offers a literary experience that transcends the mere boundaries of biography. Her books are not just narratives but intellectual odysseys that unfurl the profound tapestry of human thought across centuries. With an erudition steeped in the ambiance of London's storied streets and its deep historical currents, Bakewell crafts works that are both symphonies of intellect and meditations on the essence of being. Her literary style is a delicate dance between the personal and the metaphysical, embracing the chaos and clarity found within the minds of thinkers like Sartre and de Beauvoir in "At the Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails." Here, she captures more than just biographical sketches; she breathes life into ideas, serving them with the vitality of an apricot cocktail and the profundity of existentialist discourse. In "Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope," Bakewell traces the lineage of humanist thought with a scholar’s precision, yet with the warmth of a storyteller who knows her tale is about life itself. Bakewell's prose is a mosaic of eloquence and insight, each piece chosen with care to illuminate the intricate dance of the human narrative. Her work not only invites readers to explore the grand tapestry of philosophical inquiry but also challenges them to reflect upon their own existence. As an educator at Oxford's Kellogg College, she continues to ignite intellectual fires in those who dare to ponder the questions that define us, ensuring that the legacy of philosophical exploration endures through her students and her illuminating writings.