Black Bag by Luke Kennard audiobook review – brilliant Booker-shortlisted campus comedy
In *Black Bag*, an unemployed London actor takes an unusual university job: sitting silently inside a black leather bag while psychology students observe him. Luke Kennard’s Booker-shortlisted campus comedy turns this surreal setup into comic scenes and uses it to explore human relationships and masculinity.
The unnamed actor is behind on rent when he answers an advert for a non-speaking role in a psychological enquiry led by Professor Dr Blend. The novel draws on a 1967 Oregon State University experiment in which a student attended classes inside a black bag, as well as Yoko Ono’s 1964 artwork *Bag Piece*. Kennard narrates the audiobook himself, and the review praises his comic timing.
In short
- An out-of-work actor is paid to sit inside a black bag.
- The campus comedy draws on a 1967 social experiment.
- Luke Kennard’s narration is praised for its comic timing.
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