What is the best thing that I love about my work?
Writing is liberating. I feel free to create any kind of world inhabited by divergent characters and ruled by laws other than those of physics, logic, or entropy. These worlds do not exist – until or unless I bring them into existence through writing.
What is my idea of happiness?
Being able to tell stories and hug my loved ones. One story and one hug per day, minimum.
What is my greatest fear?
My greatest fear as a neurodivergent climate fiction writer with eco-anxiety is seeing dystopian fiction tropes becoming real. We can still have either a post-apocalyptic or a solarpunk future, depending on our current actions and the stories we tell ourselves and each other about climate change, biodiversity collapse, shifting baseline syndrome, the tipping point year, and our role in the equation.
What is the trait that I most deplore in myself?
Not exactly deplore, but it makes my life heavy at times. I take everything too personally. “Everything” as in, the whole world and all that’s happening to its growing human population and declining biodiversity.
Which living persons in my profession do i most admire?
Anyone who contributes to systems change through new, inclusive, inspiring, status-quo-challenging narratives. Anyone like that is my hero.
What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work?
The fact that writing does not always qualify as “work”. Being a writer may not be taken seriously by others, unless one is a published (or bestselling) author. Writing is still on the hobby side of things. I’d like to change that, for myself and other authors out there.
When and where was I the happiest, in my work?
I’m the happiest when I’m “in” my stories – writing or re-reading them. Always feels like coming home.
If I could, what would I change about myself?
Nothing, honestly. Every person is a journey in themselves. It means we are always changing, evolving. So even if I don’t like my current version, I can surely wake up to a new, better self tomorrow.
What is my greatest achievement in work?
As an eco-fiction writer, I am proud of finding the courage to take my old manuscript out of a long deep drawer, dust it, and start submitting it to publishers again after a 10-year break.
As a storyteller for systems change, my greatest achievement was helping underrepresented environmental initiatives to be heard via amplifying their voices through my narratives.
Where would I most like to live?
Always wanted to live in a small town where everyone knows each other’s names and says “hi” to one another upon meeting on the street. Now, I happen to live in one such town, even though the road to it was winding, uphill, and in a country I never envisioned for myself. I came as a tourist to stay as a resident. Everything in-between is (hi)story.
What is my most treasured possession?
A piece of paper with the first handwritten story I created when I was about 4 years old. Half of the letters in it are upside down or otherwise twisted. And guess what, it’s about nature (I think I was born to be an eco-fiction writer)! My plan is to frame it and put it on the wall someday.
Also, I keep souvenirs from defining moments, pivotal encounters, and memorable places, from wherever I go. Notes scribbled on a napkin by a random fellow traveler I met on a train. A rock from some road that led to unexpected discoveries. Anything goes, as long as it contains and helps me remember a story behind it! I plan to put those on the wall, too. A very, very long corridor wall.
What is my most marked characteristic?
The gift of ideation.
What is my most inspirational location, in my city?
A (secret) little public park, with wooden chaises longues and views of a tiny river, with horses grazing and trains running in the sunset background. It’s both the town’s biodiversity hotspot and my ideation hotspot.
What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city?
My tiny rented studio apartment under the roof, with an unobstructed view of the sun’s day-long journey across the sky. Too cold during winter. Too hot in summer. Just perfect for a humble writer!
What books influenced my life and how?
1. How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson. The most exciting non-fiction read I’ve encountered.
2. The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov. Made me wonder what decisions and choices had shaped our reality.
3. Fahrenheit 451 and “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury shaped my tastes as both a reader and a writer.
You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day?
Something by Hans Zimmer, and most definitely a live performance. If Zimmer is unavailable on that day, then just the sounds of nature.
Who is my hero or heroine in fiction?
Not to sound corny or narcissistic, but I really love the heroes and heroines in my own stories – they are flawed (and probably poorly written), do not always follow the hero’s journey or character arc, and often embody either my hopes or my fears (or both). All the aforementioned makes them relatably and ultimately human.
Who are my heroes and heroines in real life?
My mother. She is my role model of resilience and endless parental love.
Also, Yacouba Sawadogo – one of the agroforestry pioneers more commonly known as Yacouba Zaï, after the traditional cultivation practice he modified and adopted. Initially considered a lunatic, this man managed to turn the African desert into a forest, literally. All he used was a stick to make holes, some manure, seeds, and termite labor. The termites made the soil porous so that it could absorb the rare rainfall water much better. More water meant better growth of the trees from the seeds. The bigger the trees, the more shade. The more shade, the less evaporation and soil degradation. In the first forty years of his effort alone, Yacouba Sawadogo planted 25 hectares of trees. May he rest in peace while his legacy lives on.
Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime?
Snowpiercer. Viewer discretion advised. To me, it is a perfect allegory of the world we live in and moving towards.
Also, on the documentary side, Cosmic Dawn: The Real Moment of Creation.
What role play stories in my life and work?
Telling my stories and listening to those of others, I understood one simple truth: stories move the world. This big globalized world and the inner worlds of all people. It is not a cheap metaphor. Words do have this power to move lone individuals and entire nations. The right words said at the right time are omnipotent.
What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me?
Sounds like a close contender to the tagline that currently adorns my profile banner: “Let’s read the future in order to rewrite it”.
Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime?
My partner in environmental fiction crime is Pete Jeffs, the most holistic person I know (pun unintended, title well deserved). Go check his profile here https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterjeffsholistic/
My greatest fan is probably a fellow writer-storyteller (also a brilliant communication coach) David Fisher https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfisherworld/
My sponsor slot is still vacant. Anyone interested?
Which people or companies would I like to work with?
1. Unearthodox. They are the quintessence of the new socio-environmental movement that fosters sustainable collaborations and regenerative synergies between humans and nature.
2. Grist. Among other things eco, they are home to an immense collection of environmental / cli-fi writing. Hope to see my story there someday.
3. Nature Perspectives. They do a great job reimagining anthropocentric stories and giving voice to non-human personas.
What project am I looking forward to work on?
1. An immersive story-living experience I’m co-modeling with the synergist and emotional geographer Bernd Gibson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernd-gibson/), aiming to help people discover new ways of connecting to places, other people, and themselves.
2. Publishing my first book trilogy and a collection of short stories. If you are a literary agent or a publisher, you are most welcome to contact me using the details below.
3. Joining an initiative or a project whose mission resonates with my vision (storytelling for systems change). If you are one of them, please feel free to contact me using the info below!
Where can you see me or my work?
1. Pale Blue Dot Fiction. An eco-fiction platform jointly curated by yours truly and an extraordinary writer-illustrator and a good friend of mine Pete Jeffs: https://www.peterjeffsart.com/pale-blue-dot-fiction/
2. Voices of Regeneration by Unearthodox. Read my winning short story “EarthDome” here: https://unearthodox.org/2024/10/voices-of-regeneration-iryna-dihtiarova-deslypper/
3. Woodsqueer. This journal of queer ecologies published my other cli-fi story, “BiodiverCity”: https://www.woodsqueerlit.com/general-4
To be continued…
What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me?
To me, it literally means writing doesn’t know age.
Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story?
To be completely unbiased and inclusive, I will mention both female and male figures that deserve the spotlight. All are great storytellers:
Nelly Nguyen https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-nelly-nguyen/
Elsie Zee https://www.linkedin.com/in/elsie-zee-coach-trainer/
David Fisher
Bernd Gibson
Pete Jeffs
Alex Farlander https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexfarlander/
How can you contact me?
The Heroine's Journey 