AUTHOR Chloe Michelle Howarth said jotting down descriptions of nature in her ‘notes’ app during the pandemic inspired the setting for her debut novel Sunburn.
Weaving together depictions of nature and scenery from her lockdown walks in West Cork, Chloe created the fictional setting of Crossmore town.
‘I was so immersed in the nature so I found it really easy to write about and describe so that was a massive inspiration for the setting,’ she said.
Chloe grew up in Rosscarbery with her parents and her two brothers and the 27-year-old now resides in Brighton.
Released in June, Chloe’s novel is a queer coming of age story – exploring the life of a girl named Lucy who is navigating the turbulence of being a teenager in rural Ireland in the 1990s, while coming to terms with being gay.
Rosscarbery author Chloe Michelle Howarth recently released her debut novel Sunbun.
Shame is a prevalent theme throughout the book as Lucy explores her sexuality and realises the impact being gay has on her identity and her relationships with her family and peers.
She becomes more aware of remarks made in school about people who are gay, for instance.
‘Everyone’s experience is different but I think it’s true that if you’re a queer person you’ll pick up on those throwaway comments more, potentially, than a straight person would,’ said Chloe.
She depicts Irish secondary school life vividly – the different clicks and the dynamics between teenage girls and boys in mixed schools.
Chloe said she wanted to amplify how different Lucy feels in contrast to the fascination her group of friends has for the boys. She’s more aware of it as something that is strange to her – because she is not really getting the same buzz as her friends are.’
Other characters battle with shame for different reasons – Chloe highlights the different stigmas people often experience in rural areas.
In school, for instance, some of her peers are shamed because of their sexual activity while others feel pressure to conform to their group’s identity.
‘There’s 101 different reasons why you might feel shame in a community like Crossmore.’
‘It’s not just a book for queer people – it’s something anybody would enjoy and it’s very Irish,’ Chloe said.
Conveying Lucy’s interactions and experiences at school, on nights out with her friends and at home with her family – Chloe explores the nuances of sexuality, friendship, family dynamics and gender roles.
Chloe said it’s been lovely to hear from West Cork people and Irish people from all over, who are saying they related to the characters and the themes or that certain passages really resonated with them.
‘I didn’t really write it with the intention of people reading it – so the fact that people are now relating to it is such a lovely bonus,’ she said.
• Keep an ear out for Eimear O’Dwyer’s upcoming podcast interview with Chloe on The Southern Star website.
