Evgeny Volozadkin’s recent novel Laurus is a brilliant blend of the historical novel with a series of experimental narrative devices, which raise various questions about time and language as well as about the nature of wisdom and holiness. Rowan William's talk introduces the novel and looks at some of these issues against the background of aspects of the Russian literary tradition – and of contemporary concerns about the religious and the spiritual.

Rowan Williams grew up in South Wales and studied theology at Cambridge before proceeding to research in Oxford on Russian religious thought. After teaching in Cambridge and Oxford, he returned to Wales as a bishop and later served for ten years as Archbishop of Canterbury. He is now Master of Magdalene College. He has published a number of books on theology, philosophy and literature, as well as four volumes of poetry.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx