Interview With Author Denise Baden
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I run the Green Stories project and this year I have been working with Herculean Climate Solutions and the Climate Fiction Writer’s League to compile an anthology of climate solutions wrapped in short stories called: No More Fairy Tales: Stories the Save Our Planet. I edited it and contributed several stories..
My day job is Professor of Sustainability at the University of Southampton. I’ve published numerous book chapters and articles in the academic realm, and a eco-themed rom-com Habitat Man (2021), followed by The Assassin in 2022. I set up the series of free Green Stories writing competitions in 2018 to inspire writers to integrate green solutions into their writing (www.greenstories.org.uk).
The interesting thing about such a herculean task to put the world to rights via climate fiction is the divisions it reveals among all those who are striving for the same goal but come from different disciplines. The engineers love the big, bold, audacious solutions, the more impossible the better. ‘Glaciers melting? Well let’s just refreeze them! Nature lovers and ecologists say ‘how about we just stop leave nature alone? And then the social scientists pitch in with ‘what’s the point of all these projects if we’re still consuming as fast as we can in the name of economic growth?’
As editor it’s been a challenge reconciling all these viewpoints. Each story was written by a professional writer and then honed by climate experts. The stories I co-wrote myself as a social scientist, with Steve, a chemical engineer and Martin a comedy writer were an amusing but educational wrangle to determine which aspects got priority.
Judge for yourselves if we got it right.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
No More Fairy Tales: Stories the Save Our Planet was inspired by wanting to showcase what a sustainable society might look like and how we can get there. I wanted stories to be engaging, great to read and inspirational to provide hope.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Kim Stanley Robinson (visionary), Marion Keyes (so funny), David Mitchell (epic and innovative)
What are you working on now?
I'm adapting the novella The Assassin into a full length book. Also working on Habitat Man as a tv series and the sequel.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
my green stories network
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Enjoy the process!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don't try to make the first draft perfect – just get it down.
What are you reading now?
I'm immersing myself in crime fiction as I write the Assassin as a full length novel. Just finished the Guest List by Lucy Foley.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I like experimenting with different formats so am working on writing my stories (Habitat Man and the Assassin) as TV series
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Doctor Zhivago (as it's long and will keep me going).
Survival skills!
Author Websites and Profiles
Denise Baden’s Social Media Links
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