I interviewed Deaf Irish author Lynn Buckle, whose second novel What Willow Says won the international Barbellion Prize. Lynn specialises in creative writing, mythology, art, art history, teaching skills, contemporary literature, domestic violence, nature & climate writing, and solution-based protest writing. As host of Climate Writing at the IWC, she interviews international authors, politicians, and NGOs about the role of literature in the Anthropocene. Lynn represented Ireland as a UNESCO City of Literature Writer in Residence at The National Centre for Writing UK and depends on technology to hear.

Leslie: Tell us about your prize-winning novel What Willow Says. You call it, “A paean to the bogs, trees, and mythologies of Ireland.” How do you tell a story on that theme? How does characterisation and use of language figure in the novel? 

Lynn: Centring nature, making nature a character and not just a theme, avoids the problematic ‘othering’ of nature. Showing how two people connect with their environment, describing their sensory experiences, using forms of communication which flow between humans and non-humans, drawing on ancient mythologies which reiterate these connections – they all add to the experience of being part of the landscape.

Language is explored in its spoken and visual forms. I try to explain Irish Sign Language both from the perspective of a hearing person who is new to it and from the perspective of a deaf child who is language deprived. Both are on a learning journey, and they revel in the languages available to them, often inventing their own. I was keen to make the written word as rich as possible, to relish vocabulary in the same way as signs are.

Leslie: How have you experienced nature from childhood to today? What has changed about your relationship to nature as you’ve grown older?

Lynn: The women of my family passed down an appreciation of botany, gardening, immersion in the countryside, conservation. I learnt from grandmothers who practised sustainability before that became a term. I might have taken that to extremes in the past by living off-grid in order to protect the planet but have achieved more balance with age, my relationship to nature strengthened by the refusal of others to protect it.

Leslie: As host, can you tell us about the worldwide climate writers – what are the outstanding moments from your interviews and what have your guests (and you!) identified as the role of literature vis a vis climate?

Lynn: I started the worldwide climate writers group in an effort to use my platform as an author to convince writers of all genres that they can change the way readers’ treat their environment. By embedding climate solutions into any story or poetry (not just climate fiction) we can change behaviours and halt further destruction of the earth. It was fantastic to have Professor Denise Baden confirm this through her research which is why I was keen to interview her.

I specifically select guest authors who embed climate solutions into their work. Most climate writers write of gloom, doom, climate apocalypses, while countless poets eulogise the beauty of a natural world in decline. Few give us actual solutions. So it is a joy to find those who do.

It is also a joy to bring politics to the forefront, to interview politicians who can make change on a macro level and to feed them our ideas, and to introduce to our writers to the idea that policy change is something they can influence.

Leslie: Tell us about The Groundsmen. In what ways did you adapt real life experience or recorded events to write this book? How and why did you change the story compared with its source narrative(s)?

Lynn: I drew on every woman’s story to create a universal one which every victim of domestic violence or sexual abuse could connect to. It would be both unethical and inappropriate to use actual sources. I wrapped these in Greek mythology to add weight and meaning, reinforcing characters’ roles and highlighting how such ancient themes are still prevalent today. I was taken aback during the book tour of The Groundsmen by the effect it had on readers, on how the novel became a catalyst for victims and survivors to tell their story, to seek help, to bring the discussion of abuse out of the dark. Working with domestic violence services, we reached a wider audience for supports through literature. 

Leslie: How have you represented the experience of disability though your writings and readings? (NB the term ‘disability’ is not used in reference to hearing loss or D/deafness – Lynn Buckle)

Lynn: For a long time, my internalised ableism meant I hid my hearing loss for fear of not getting work. But, once published, I felt safe to express that side of my life in my writing, to tell the deaf stories – not just my story but those of others too. I am still exploring different ways of putting sign language into writing. It requires two translations and finding a written form to interpret a visual one is another challenge. What Willow Says clearly explores deafness and ableism as a theme but my other published work really digs into that challenge of translation. Like Meg Day, Raymond Antrobus, and Ilya Kaminsky I am creating new ways to write my other language.

I am also keen to promote ‘own voices,’ to champion the work of disabled/D/deaf authors, which is why I agreed to judge The Barbellion Prize after previously winning it. The award is relaunching later this year, and I look forward to seeing many more D/deaf and disabled authors on their list.

When invited to read at a literary event or as a panellist, I will add a rider to contracts stating my access needs and those of my audience. These accommodations would include loop systems, ISL interpreters, and captions.

Leslie: Tell us about ‘the deaf perspective’ on literature.

Lynn: My answer, if you mean ‘on literature,’ is that it is painful to read inaccuracies written by hearing authors about D/deaf characters. Sensitivity readers can only go so far, it seems, which is why ‘own voices’ are so important. It is also painful to see hearing authors profit from D/deaf stories, at the expense of ‘own voices.’ It is also problematic that publishers, editors, competition judges, The Arts Council etc do not understand D/deaf methodologies of writing and of sign language translation. I campaign for change as an author, and also as an employee of Chime (the national charity for D/deaf and hard of hearing people).  Sadly, the D/deaf perspective on literature is that it is not yet inclusive.

ABOUT LESLIE TATE’S BOOKS:

1. Love’s Register tells the story of romantic love and climate change over four UK generations. Beginning with ‘climate children’ Joe, Mia and Cass and ending with Hereiti’s night sea journey across Oceania, the book’s voices take us through family conflicts in the 1920s, the pressures of the ‘free-love 60s’, open relationships in the feminist 80s/90s and a contemporary late-life love affair. Love’s Register is a family saga and a modern psychological novel that explores the way we live now.
   • A signed copy of Love’s Register is available in pounds sterling here.
   • The paperback in other currencies is available here.                                                 
   • Ebook for Kindle in £s here and in $s here.                                                           
   • For other ebook reading devices here (all currencies). 
2. Heaven’s Rage is a memoir that explores addiction, cross-dressing, bullying and the hidden sides of families, discovering at their core the transformative power of words to rewire the brain and reconnect with life. “A Robin Red breast in a Cage / Puts all Heaven in a Rage” – William Blake. You can read more about/buy Heaven’s Rage here.
3. The Dream Speaks Back, written by Sue Hampton, Cy Henty and Leslie Tate, is a joint autobiography exploring imagination and the adult search for the inner child. The book looks at gender difference, growing up in unusual families and mental health issues. It’s also a very funny portrait of working in the arts, full of crazy characters, their ups and downs, and their stories. You can buy a signed copy of The Dream Speaks Back here.
4. Ways to be Equally Human tells the inside story of coming out as a non-binary person, from being ‘othered’ in gendered toilets to stepping up on stage & radio and taking action with Extinction Rebellion. Full of lyrical writing, humour and quirky insights, this is a book for lovers of language, nonconformists and passionate thinkers. You can buy a signed copy here.