The late John Berger will be known to many readers as the pillar of cultural criticism whose 1972 BBC series Ways of Seeing, and book of the same title, are still among the most significant contributions to art theory of recent generations. Others may be more familiar with his Booker Prize-winning novel, G, or perhaps with his paintings. Few readers would have as deep an understanding of Berger’s varied talents and prolific output as Melbourne cultural historian and academic Nikos Papastergiadis, whose new book combines memoir and biography to explore memories of his friendship with Berger and their many shared interests.

When Papastergiadis was studying Berger’s work for his doctorate at Cambridge, the two were introduced by telephone. Soon after, Papastergiadis set off on the first of many visits to Berger’s home in the tiny village of Quincy in the French Alps. As an Australian-born son of Greek migrants who left subsistence farming villages, not dissimilar to Quincy, seeking opportunities in Australia, Papastergiadis had long been captivated by Berger’s writing, particularly on migrant experiences and the demise of the European peasant way of life. In his own work, Papastergiadis considers these experiences and implications, too, bringing both his personal and professional perspectives. 

As a mentor, Berger encouraged Papastergiadis to ‘Write stories like the way you tell them when we are all gathered here in the kitchen!’ It is no surprise then that reading this book is somewhat akin to spending an evening with an old friend, enjoyably surrendering to conversations that loop through memories, intellectual preoccupations, hopes, fears, observations and the emotional landscape of life, seeking to make sense of the world and find a true place within it. John Berger and Me is an elegiac and heartfelt tribute to a friendship and a moving reflection on the changing pace of human existence and the ‘loss and love of home’.