Agridirect.ie hears from acclaimed agricultural novelist Ryan Dennis following the publication of Ryan's new literary project, Voices from the Land.
Chronicler of farming life
It’s been quite a couple of years for novelist, Ryan Dennis. A native of New York state, Ryan has made his name in recent times as a chronicler of farming experiences from across the globe. Last year, his debut novel, The Beasts They Turned Away, was published by époque press to widespread acclaim. This year sees the publication of another farm-focussed literary project, Voices from the Land – a collection of essays, stories and poems written by farmers and other authors from agricultural backgrounds.
Last week we caught up with Ryan ahead of the publication of this exciting new project on 18 May.
Ryan Dennis speaking to Agridirect.ie:
“Voices from the Land is a project resulting from my 2021-2022 Writer-in-Residency at Maynooth University, an annual post that is provided in partnership with Maynooth University and the Kildare County Arts Council. The position asks the recipient to engage with the community and provides support to do so. As a writer from an agricultural background, one of my main objectives has always been to attempt to give voice to the lived experience of family farming. However, I thought this residency could be a great opportunity to allow farmers to speak for themselves.”
Farming can be isolating in nature
“Voices from the Land is a 62-page booklet that contains stories, essays and poems from 37 individuals connected with Irish agriculture. The act of farming can be isolating by nature, and when farmers can’t see themselves reflected back in the things they read, it makes it an even lonelier occupation. Ultimately, there is also a loss of social and political capital when the farmer’s story does not get told, because the disconnect between the farming and non-farming population grows. I think can affect everything from future CAP budgets to the general public increasingly not understanding where their food comes from. However, these 37 contributors have taken it on themselves to tell their story and help fill that gap.”
Overwhelming support
“I wasn’t quite sure that to expect when I put the call out for submissions, but in the end it was very humbling to see the overwhelming support and excitement for the project. Not only did I get many more contributions than I expected, but the overall quality of the work is excellent, in my opinion. A few pieces are from writers who have various types of experience in farming, but many more are from farmers who have little writing experience or have only put pen to paper for the first time for Voices from the Land. Still, the end result was very strong writing.”
What it means to be an Irish farmer
“I believe that Voices from the Land is a very complex and thorough look at what it means to be an Irish farmer. Work inside the covers celebrates Irish agriculture, but some of it also explores its difficulties and problems. For example, Phelim Kavanagh’s fictional piece “August Cadence” muses what is the appropriate way to balance environmental concerns in the industry, while David Lynch’s essay “Family Farm Survivor” portrays the type of emotional abuse that can occur within some farming families, daringly presenting an experience that is not often talked about.”
Note: Sincere thanks to Ryan Dennis for taking the time to talk to us about Voices from the Land. Here at Agridirect.ie, we share Ryan’s passion for giving a voice to Irish farming. For more information about this exciting project, visit https://www.themilkhouse.org/voices/
If you are interested in reading Voices from the Land, copies will be available free of charge after 25th May from Agridirect (Ballyconnell, Cavan), the Kildare Library System (emdonnelly@kildarecoco.ie), Wexford Farmers Coop (http://wfc.ie/), Cork County Marts (jerrymoynihan@corkmarts.com) and the Galway and Mayo Regional IFA Office (Roy O’Brien, galway@ifa.ie). A digital version will also be available on the Milk House webpage from May 18th.
