« We need stories that help us to reimagine our futures »
To answer these questions, Paloma Moritz has invited Jean Hegland, an American author famous all around the world. Her novel Into the Forest was translated in 15 languages. It was a Best seller in the US and 500 000 copies have been sold in France since it was published in 2017. Set in the near-future, Into the Forest is a powerfully imagined novel that focuses on the relationship between two teenage sisters living alone in their Northern California forest home. Nell and Eva struggle to survive as society begins to decay and collapse around them. The sisters consume the resources left in the house, waiting for the power to return. Their arrival into adulthood, however, forces them to reexamine their place in the world and their relationship to the land and each other. The sequel to this novel, Here in This Next New Now was published for the first time in France in January 2025. Fifteen years after the collapse of civilization, young Burl lives isolated with his two mothers, Eva and Nell, in the heart of their beloved forest. To avoid attracting attention, they burned their house and made their home in a large redwood stump where they have created a rich and meaningful life. To feed themselves, Burl and his mothers hunt and gather. The stories, dances, and music they make by the fire enhance their days. If Nell and Eva marked an entire generation, Burl will be the unforgettable hero of the one to come. Jean Hegland believes that it is her responsibility to talk about ecological issues in her novels and to write stories that help us imagine a more promising future than the apocalypse. So, how can stories help us prepare for what is ahead of us if capitalism keeps destroying our planet ? Can our modern societies collapse ? What power can novels have in these dark times ? And how is it possible not to lose hope with Trump back at the White House ? Jean Hegland will answer all of these questions and some more in this interview with Paloma Moritz for Blast.