In Conversation with Tim Winton

Tim Winton is one of the most esteemed and prize-winning contemporary Australian authors. The subjects he deals with in his novels and stories regard respect for nature, as much as an immense love for the Australian country and history. The environmental question plays a very important role in his fiction. Tim Winton’s writing is not only a sort of ‘eco-philosophy’, but also a way to make good literature. Maybe the key of his success lies in this double message. We interviewed him for Le Simplegadi, as this issue focuses on eco-sustainable narratives. We asked Winton to give his opinion about writing in a ‘respect for nature’ point of view. We were interested in the way he insists on underlining the fragility of the oceans’ ecosystems and the dangers of exploiting the beaches for touristic reasons. Therefore, we tried to understand how his books can help people understand that nature is fundamental for our surviving and welfare. Together with the writer we analyzed some passages of his most famous novels, where his young characters fight to save the Australian oceans and marine fauna. We found out that these stories can help the readers to understand why it is so important to protect and respect nature. Moreover, Winton revealed to Le Simplegadi his opinion about the future of ‘Postcolonial Literatures’ and their connection with the Australian writers and poets. Furthermore, we asked Tim Winton to discuss about the Aboriginal Australians’ culture with us. There are many references to its ancient traditions in Winton’s books and we were curious about the Aboriginal Australians’ worship of nature and a connection with the writer’s favorite themes. Finally, he exhaustively satisfied our curiosity about a possible connection between food and an eco-sustainable writing.