Kaja Brown is an award winning writer, journalist and intersectional activist living in South Wales (UK). Kaja explores themes of social justice, disability, mental health, LGBT+ life and environmentalism in her writing. She is currently working on a fantasy manuscript which encompasses these elements in a Nordic setting. You can find their portfolio on their website: https://kajabrown.com/
In what ways does nature inspire or inform your work?
A couple of years ago I wrote a long-form article exploring the role of storytelling in environmentalism, and for this piece I interviewed a few professors and nature writers. I remember one of them saying to me “All historic writing is nature writing, because we were all so much more connected to our environment then.” That stuck with me, and as a writer myself I try and foster that connection with nature that our ancestors used to have.
What does it mean to you to be part of a thriving ecosystem?
I think being a part of a thriving ecosystem is to be in a community where you care for and support each other. I am lucky to have a community of friends where I live and we help lift each other up and support and celebrate our activist endeavors. I think it’s also to be connected to the non-human in our communities, whether that be trees or animals or the bees visiting your flowers. We have to keep each other in mind and take care of ourselves and others in order to thrive.
