Writing Ecofiction: Navigating the Challenges of Environmental Narrative

This creative writing textbook introduces students to ecofiction: narrative writing that focuses on the environment. Also known as ’climate fiction’ or ’cli-fi’, an increasing number of short story writers, novelists and pioneers of emerging forms such as interactive fiction are taking up the call to develop their own creative responses to the climate crisis. This guide explores a cross-section of genres and ways of writing about our world, as well as the ethical and technical challenges involved. It offers a discussion of classic and contemporary texts, literary criticism and creative writing exercises. The book covers a broad range of themes and styles of writing, from works that engage with nature and landscape writing to those that take a more activist approach to climate change. With an awareness of the Global South and the subaltern, the framing of the Anthropocene, wilderness and nature writing is challenged. Each chapter offers a new perspective on ecofiction for the creative writer, with reading suggestions and connections to other writers and texts, and writing activities. Designed for upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate writing modules on the environment, the book is also suitable for independent writers looking to expand their skillset.

​Kevan Manwaring is Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Arts University Bournemouth, UK. A BBC/AHRC New Generation Thinker finalist in 2022, Kevan is a writer and academic whose practice-based research focuses on ecology and fantasy. His books include Heavy Weather: Tempestuous Tales of Stranger Climes, Lost Islands and Desiring Dragons: Creativity, Imagination and the Writer’s Quest, and he has contributed to Storytelling for a Greener World. His prizewinning ecofiction novel, Black Box, was adapted into an audio drama by Alternative Stories. He is also a member of the Climate Fiction Writers League.