At the centre of Wash is Washington Roebling, the man who oversaw the creation of the Brooklyn Bridge - but Wagner’s novel is less a historical reconstruction than an intimate act of imagination. Moving through memory rather than chronology, it traces a life shaped by a brutal father, war, illness and a great love, asking what it means to spend your life fulfilling a dream that was never entirely your own.

Never more poignantly told, Wash is a richly layered portrait of ambition, marriage and inheritance, and of the emotional cost behind one of the modern world’s great engineering feats.

Wagner will discuss the decades-long fascination that led her to Roebling’s story, the relationship between fact and fiction, and how the lives we live are shaped as much by longing as by history.

We kindly ask for a £10 deposit to secure your spot – you’ll receive a refund when you attend, or if you cancel your ticket at least 48 hours before the event takes place. If not, your deposit will be donated to our charity partner Shelter from the Storm, supporting people experiencing homelessness in London.

*Please note that filming/photography may be taking place on site for the duration of this event for promotional and archival purposes. The photographs and recordings made are likely to appear on our website. If you would prefer not to be photographed please let the Fora team know on arrival to the event.