“Celebrating plurality and multiplicity, … being both/and rather than either/or”: Interview with Lucy Caldwell

Abstract

Lucy Caldwell is a renowned and multi-awarded writer, who has published extensively and has been acclaimed both nationally and internationally. Oscillating between the genres of the novel and the short story, she has explored issues such as motherhood, intimacy, identity or belonging, from multiple perspectives, often addressed in a plurality of forms, including plays, radio plays and essays. Her versatility and the way she engages with urgent matters, including the complexities of Northern Ireland, sexuality, female subjectivity and an ever-changing global world lie at the core of her narratives. The present interview is the result of several conversations with Caldwell about the themes and main concerns that inform her writing, in her path to celebrating plurality, diversity and multiple heritages.