Episode 118 - Gareth E. Rees - Sunken Lands

Some Other Sphere

My guest for this episode is author Gareth E Rees, who joined me to talk about his latest writing project, Sunken Lands: A Journey Through Lost Kingdoms and Flooded Worlds.

In the book, he explores stories of flooded places from humanity’s past – and those disappearing before our eyes. Sunken Lands peels back the layers of silt, sea and mythology to reveal what the history and tales of such places can tell us about our imminent future as rising sea levels transform our planet once more and reflects upon how these underwater worlds can teach us important lessons about the unavoidability of change, the ebb and flow of Earth’s natural cycles, and the folly of trying to control them.

Gareth himself describes the book as "an anxiety-fuelled trip through enigmatic landscapes that conceal and reveal tales of trauma from the past present and future".

In the interview, I start off by talking with him about what drew him to this subject matter and how that fits with the sort of themes he has previously written about and is expressed through the psychogeographical context that features in his work.

From there we discuss Sunken Lands itself, the ancient origin of flood myths and some of the places and legends that feature in the book, such as Lake Bala and the lowland hundred in Wales, the Fens of Eastern England and of course, Atlantis. Towards the end of the interview, we talk a bit about if and how stories will be told which will preserve the memory of flooding and it’s effect on contemporary society.

Sunken Lands: A Journey Through Lost Kingdoms and Flooded Worlds is published by Elliott & Thompson - details on how to order a copy are available at https://eandtbooks.com/books/sunken-lands/. To find out more about Gareth and his writing go to http://www.unofficialbritain.com/.

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