Activism versus Art

After discussing the ‘environmental agenda’, and the ‘agenda’ of literature, we consider the problem of didacticism, drawing upon John Fowles’ belief that ‘When literature serves dogma, it ceases to be literature’. We reflect on how to avoid the ‘wagging finger’, as well fatalistic nihilism, exploitation, romanticisation, assumptions of privilege, and cultural myopia. We ask if it is possible to banish the spectre of didacticism via a number of strategies, including the representation of a cross-section of voices: the advocates; dissenters; heretics, etc. We’ll consider hybrid forms, and key voices engaged in the field today, such as Rebecca Solnit, who eloquently and intelligently treads the line between the two. Recent initiatives such as ‘Climate Declares Emergency’ (the artistic wing of ‘Extinction Rebellion’) will be considered. Some examples that show how it is possible to reconcile the agendas of the environmental and the literary will be offered. Practical strategies will be offered.