The Panopticon (novel)

The Panopticon
First edition
AuthorJenni Fagan
Published3 May 2012
PublisherHeinemann
Pages336
ISBN9780434021772

The Panopticon is a novel published in 2012 by Jenni Fagan.

Synopsis

[edit]

The novel is about a 15-year-old girl called Anais who grows up in care and is trapped by the care and criminal justice systems in the UK. However she is intelligent and imaginative, and creates a rich fantasy world, and dreams of possible other lives for herself. It has a surrealist element to the narrative.[1]

The author says that the care system acts as a metaphor for the way people conform to structures imposed on them by society and various surveillance measures.[1]

Publication

[edit]

The Panopticon was written by Jenni Fagan, who was herself brought up in care, when she was 34 years old, and published in 2012.[1]

Reception

[edit]

It was well-reviewed in several major newspapers in the UK and US,[2][3][4] shortlisted for several awards, and translated into at least eight languages by 2019.[1]

Adaptations

[edit]

In October 2019, the National Theatre of Scotland staged an adaptation of the novel at the Platform in Glasgow and the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh.[1]

The Panopticon was optioned by Sixteen Films, Ken Loach's film production company. It was in production as of September 2019, with the script written by Fagan and Joe Frost directing, due to be released in 2020.[1] However, as of February 2022 there is shown as "in development" on IMDb, with no further information.[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f McMillan, Joyce (28 September 2019). "Outsider Insight". The Scotsman. Retrieved 1 February 2023 – via PressReader.
  2. ^ Ellmann, Lucy (26 April 2013). "The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan - review". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  3. ^ Shone, Tom (18 July 2013). "Surveillance State". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  4. ^ Charles, Ron (30 July 2013). "Fiction: 'The Panopticon', by Jenni Fagan". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 September 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  5. ^ The Panopticon at IMDb