Colum McCann is admired by Bono, JJ Abrams, Salman Rushdie, Sting, and Pope Francis. He’s not only appreciated by these notable figures, but his work has also resonated with a diverse audience worldwide. Born in Dublin and based in New York, McCann’s writing has been translated into over 40 languages. His 2009 novel, Let the Great World Spin, has sold more than a million copies in the United States alone. He has received literary accolades ranging from France to China, including an Academy Award nomination.
If it appears as though he’s united some unusual partners, that’s perfectly in line with his style. His mission is to connect the globe through tales, he claims – and this new work, Twist, certainly embodies that. As he puts it, “It’s a story about the maintenance and disruption of underwater communication cables.
Similar to many people, I once assumed that worldwide internet data traveled through the sky on satellites and then was sent back to us. However, it turns out that almost all long-distance data travels via tunnels deep beneath the ocean’s surface.
From his apartment in Manhattan, he explains to me, “At this moment, you and I are traveling through those tunnels. My end is located at 60 Hudson Street, where all New York traffic gets routed. From there, it’s sent to a landing station in either Long Island or New Jersey, then underwater to Cornwall. There, the data travels along fiber-optic cables that predominantly follow railway tracks in the UK. It’s incredible, but these cables are quite vulnerable.
Instead of going up, head to the docking station in Cornwall where the underwater cables arrive from the sea. With a crowbar, you might be able to pry open the manhole cover, insert some explosives, and cause immediate harm. Moreover, Britain is one of those countries that can potentially be separated quite swiftly.
A significant concern he raises is the potential devastation caused by damage to underwater communication cables. He fears this could evolve into a new and alarming aspect of conflict. Approximately $10 trillion in transactions are facilitated daily through these cables, so if even ten or eleven of them were disrupted, it would be a disaster similar to the events of September 11th. We didn’t foresee jet planes crashing into skyscrapers, but one morning, that was our reality.
In light of everything we’ve discussed, it’s not surprising that Twist shares some characteristics with a thriller (and there are certainly unexpected turns), as a journalist embarks on a cable repair voyage off the west coast of Africa. Yet, the book retains the same richness of language, depth of character, and emotional resonance that earned McCann a spot on the Booker Prize long-list twice over.
Among his works, several have been transformed into different formats – American Mother became an audiobook narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, while Everything in this Country Must was turned into a short film (earning it an Oscar nomination). This week, Twist’s selection as Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime presents no challenges for him. However, he won’t be contributing his charming Irish accent to the production; when they were recording the audiobook for Let the Great World Spin, he desired to narrate the first and last chapters, but they requested professional actors instead, even making him audition for the role. After spending an hour in the booth, he didn’t secure the job.
Additional adaptations are on the horizon. One of Hollywood’s most renowned actors has expressed interest in the film “Twist”, while renowned director J.J. Abrams (known for films like Star Wars) is working on a movie adaptation of “Let the Great World Spin”. Even Sting wanted to contribute, so he’s composing the music. Interestingly, both Sting and Abrams have transitioned from fans to friends. As Sting shared, “Sting has become more like a friend – he’s just a genuine, down-to-earth person – and JJ is a great friend; he let me use his cabin in Maine to write ‘Twist’.
When asked who among the notable figures in the aforementioned article means the most to McCann for their endorsement, he responds promptly. For him, spending an hour with Pope Francis, following the Pope’s reading and appreciation of McCann’s 2020 novel Apeirogon (a book about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict), was a profound experience. The fact that some of his words were incorporated into some of the Pope’s masses is the highest honor he could ever receive.
Although I may not be a model Catholic, I’ve never encountered anyone who embodies the essence of active listening more profoundly. Engaging with these notable individuals has been enriching, yet my most significant experience? Without a doubt, it would be meeting Pope Francis.
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2025-03-11 03:41