This week I sit down with Byddi Lee - Author, Screenwriter & Playwright from Armagh in Ireland. Byddi just launched her latest book - Barren - the story of a grieving woman who communicates with her miscarried child's spirit to uncover an Ancient Irish woman's struggle to survive during a climate catastrophe. In writing this book, Byddi has drawn on her own personal experience with baby loss and infertility, as well as her academic background in Environmental Biology. The historical narrative is based on the scientifically documented Hekla 4 Icelandic volcanic eruption in 2354 BC, which She studied while working in the Paleoecology Department in Queen's University in Belfast. With its dual timeline and sharp social commentary - Barren explores the complexities of identify and family roles entangled with motherhood and legacy, critiquing how we live and our relationship with the earth. It combines intimate, personal struggles with sweeping narratives of societal change to shed light on and hold a mirror to ancient and modern environmental crises. It gives a voice to women who aren't mothers for whatever reason, a growing population yet a silent and underrepresented community in today's society and literature in general. Byddi says "Writing the book has helped me on my healing journey and I hope that it also helps others to heal too" Join her for her Dublin Book Launch on 14th May in the https://irishwriterscentre.ie/ Check out her latest book and all her other work through her website: https://byddilee.com/ or https://www.buythebook.ie/product/barren/ Find her on social media: https://www.instagram.com/byddilee/ https://www.facebook.com/byddi https://www.linkedin.com/in/byddilee/ A special mention to Frances McKenna's artwork for the cover of Barren, find more about her work here https://www.francesmckennairishart.com/ This podcast is proudly partnered with https://intothewestadventures.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sharonfitzmaurice.substack.com

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