Dawnie Walton Reads from Her Debut Novel, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev

Damian Barr’s Literary Salon tempts the world’s best writers to read exclusively from their latest greatest works and share their own personal stories. Star guests include Jojo Moyes, John Waters, Yaa Gyasi, Mary Beard, Diana Athill and Louis de Bernières—all in front of a live audience at leading glamorous locations world-wide. Our London home is the Savoy. Suave Salonnière Damian Barr is your host.

We’re thrilled to feature another unmissable novel by a debut author exploding onto the literary scene. The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton is a novel that Cosmopolitan is calling “an absorbing tale bursting with color,” told through an oral history reminiscent of bestselling novel Daisy Jones & the Six, but with its own unique style and fully realized characters.

Back in New York in the early 1970s, Opal Jewel is a Black punk artist before her time, before afropunk even existed. When she meets British singer Nev Charles, the two come together like music and lyrics to form a cult band on the rise. But when a rival band signed to their label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert, the night ends in tragedy. Only in 2016 when the band is considering a reunion tour and a young music journalist is writing a piece about them does the terrible truth behind their stardom come to light.

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This podcast is produced and edited by Megan Bay Dorman. To listen to the rest of the episode, as well as the whole archive of Damian Barr’s Literary Salon, subscribe and listen on iTunes or wherever else you find your favorite podcasts.