“Schoolchildren would not now be protesting had Greta Thunberg not made her stand. Writers have begun to take note”. An Interview with Celia de Fréine

Abstract

In this interview with Celia de Fréine, the Irish writer discusses her prolific and varied literary production in a wide range of genres, with a special focus on current ecological concerns and their impact on creative writing. This ecological interest is finding its way in a literary system, the Irish one, in which debates around national borders and women’s place in the nation are far from resolved. Besides biological diversity, the writer discusses cultural and linguistic diversity, especially in relation with the present-day situation of the Irish language, the role of translation and its effect on the reception of the writer’s work, the permitted themes past and present, the subtle ties between language, setting and theme, and other subjects pertinent to language choice. Among other significant ecological concerns, Celia de Fréine appraises the following: the growingly blurring boundary between rural and urban spaces due to urban sprawl, the ailments of the social and human body, the interconnections between human and non-human bodies, the celebration of well preserved and inspiring natural environments, and the associations of landscapes with particular literary traditions from Ireland and beyond. The interview ends with a reflection upon the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on creative writing.