‘Grounded confidence, and a witty humour’ – Pierre Novellie – Why Can’t I Just Enjoy Things?
Lucian got the chance to hear Pierre Novellie speak about his new book at this years Lichfield Literature Festival. Covering everything from Warhammer to Einstein, read Lucian’s thoughts on the comedian and writer’s new book here.
Pierre Novellie introduced his book (Why can’t I just enjoy things?) to a sold-out St Mary’s Hub in Lichfield. Centred on his late autism diagnosis at the age of 31, Pierre delivered a warming, honest, eye opener into the diverse nature of autism and the range of aspects it can cover.
Pierre shared a story of an early comedy show where he was heckled by a fan suggesting he had Aspergers Syndrome. Yet, this seemed to resonate with Pierre whose subsequent diagnosis was able to describe why he hates holding hands, his need to comprehend the use of something, and his obsession with the fantasy tabletop game Warhammer.
A notable part of the evening was when Pierre discussed the broad scope of interpretations that have faced autistic people over decades. What was once labelled as Aspergers is now categorised in 3 stages of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Pierre also drew upon Albert Einstein who is considered high functioning by society. Einstein’s great ability and connection with science, alongside how he impacted modern physics, creates a common misconception of the way he lived. In reality, he functioned in a way that was extremely impractical. This was an interesting opportunity to comprehend how autism is interpreted in modern contexts.
Throughout the evening, Pierre spoke with a grounded confidence, answering questions with knowledge and a witty humour. Via the creation of his book Pierre hopes that “people might read it when they don’t have to”, highlighting how many books on autism are depicted in a negative way, a stark contrast to Pierre’s light and easy narration.
By Lucian C
If you’re aged 11-18 and would like to be a festival reviewer, applications for Young Critics are open for Lichfield Festival – find out more on our website https://lichfieldfestival.org/aspire/young-critics/