Wetlands as Literary Spaces: Off Kilter, Off Grid, Off the Wall

Abstract

The chapter explores the dialectical relationship between literature and wetlands, with a very particular English bent. The renaissance in new nature writing, and its current vogue as nature pilgrimage mixed with personal, often pain, memoir, has led to an abundance of accessible, and beautifully written, paeans to different English landscapes. But there is a 'New Folk Horror' revival too, also known as the English Eerie, providing an alterantive 'off kilter' perspective on our relationship with natural spaces. This chapter will explore this fascination with the dark side of the English pastoral in all its artistic forms such as filmmaking, music, art and storytell-ing. Changes in modern publishing have also enabled literature to go 'off grid' as well as 'off the wall'. The chapter ends with a reflection on the key influences to our modern cultural representations of wetlands. Keywords Dialectical • New nature writing • New Folk Horror • English Eerie • Cultural representations You nimble lightnings, dart your blinding flames Into her scornful eyes! Infect her beauty, You fen-suck'd fogs, drawn by the pow'rful sun, To fall and blast her pride! King Lear, Act 2, scene 2