Shine On - Irish Writing and Mental Health

Shine On is an anthology of new Irish writing published by Dedalus Press in October 2011. A unique collaboration with Shine, the national organisation supporting people with mental ill health, it’s a mix of poetry and prose (and a little writing for theatre) by contemporary Irish authors. There are big names such as Colm Tóibín, Claire Keegan, Joseph O'Connor, Colum McCann and Paul Durcan, and a host of newer and older writers in both Irish and English.

The idea was born when Shine Director John Saunders and Dedalus head Pat Boran met at a writing workshop some years ago. Joining forces on this project, they hoped to raise money and increase awareness of mental ill health and the work that Shine does. It was also important that the book could be enjoyed and read on its own terms. As Pat Boran puts it, they were cautious not to “erect a wall around the subject of mental health”, instead aiming to engage with the wider conversation that is Irish writing.

Pat edited the collection and his connections were crucial. A published poet and novelist himself, his work in broadcasting and previously as Programme Director of the Dublin Writers Festival meant he was particularly well connected to the Irish writing community; “we approached about 50 poets and fiction writers and were heartened at how many felt able and keen to respond”. All the writers involved gave their work for free.

As Pat admits in his introduction, the links between mental health and creativity are not clear or straightforward, but there are parallels. As he explains, “the altered or pressurised states which so often produce good writing may be similar in kind if not in degree with the altered states which underlie mental health difficulties, and many poets and writers seem therefore to have a real empathy and perhaps even understanding of some of the factors which lead to mental health problems”.

There is an unknown quality to the imagination and creativity, a mining of the subconscious, hidden parts of the mind which may explain why Shine’s cause resonates with writers. While all the contributors gave of their work because they felt it was a good cause, Pat feels his role as chief persuader was helped by their noticeable understanding of “a profound connection with the most difficult-to-pin-down and even mysterious part of what it is they do – that is, inspiration”.

An anthology such as this with an explicit “theme” brings its own editorial challenges. How did they approach the selection? From the beginning both Shine and Dedalus agreed to give writers free rein to submit work they considered “appropriate to the collection” rather than taking mental health as a direct reference point. Pat Boran says, “I was convinced that this shouldn't be a volume of writing 'about' mental health issues. We wanted writing that directly addressed the concerns of Shine… but also the same wide range of subjects that might bring anyone to any good collection of writing from Ireland”. This lightness of touch is reflected in the diversity of the contents - some dealing explicitly with mental health, some obliquely, others not at all.

It’s a timely intervention in difficult times. John Saunders sees the huge and radical upheavals in recent years as exacerbating an already bad situation, and agrees we are witnessing a mental health crisis in Ireland. What’s at the crux of the problem? He explains, “it’s a combination of the already present level of mental ill health, exasperated by the recent economic and social turmoil which has lead to uncertainty in all aspects of people’s lives. Uncertainty and social stress are significant risk factors for people’s mental health”.

It’s a complex issue requiring a complex response. From Shine’s perspective, what can be done? John says, “we have to protect and support the social structure we live in. There is a major role for government, businesses, community organisations and the voluntary sector to ensure that we maintain the structures of society that support marginalised and vulnerable groups through the economic and social crisis”. Pat shares this view, emphasising how the project brings together diverse organisations for a common purpose, “it's a positive development, I think, that we have been able to make a book which reminds us that there is a meaningful link between the activities of two bodies, Shine and The Arts Council, who at a superficial level would seem to have little in common”.

Again and again both John and Pat emphasise that there is no single solution to mental ill-health. Both agree that writing, art and culture play a crucial – if necessarily somewhat nebulous - role in wider social issues. While John stresses its essential place in any civilised society, he also understands its limitations, “culture and art can't solve major social problems but can make a significant contribution to the lives of individuals and communities, and act as a vehicle for connectedness and learning”.  

For Pat, this role as social connector is key. Reading can transport our minds to other lives, times, and places, allowing us rare access to the experiences of others. Perhaps this can help understanding of difference. He says, “what writers bring to this dialogue is their ability to describe, as if from the inside, to open the subject to a more general scrutiny, to interrogate the meaning and appropriateness of the labels we put on people and behaviour and conditions, and to remind us all that empathy is still the most effective weapon against discrimination in all of the forms it takes in our society”.

Perhaps this idea of connection in spite of difference - whether empathy as individuals, or collaboration as organisations - is what we should be aiming for? While Shine and Dedalus ostensibly do very different things, the effort here to create a meaningful common purpose on this project is a powerful statement. This is a courageous dialogue between communities of interest about community at large. The end result does many things, as befits a collection; at times a pleasure to read, at times uncomfortable, but consistently a thought provoking assembly of individual voices offering their own takes on the world. The tagline of the book is “supporting people affected by mental ill health”. The work and ideas behind Shine On are a reflective expression of the many forms this support can take.

More information about Shine: http://www.shineonline.ie/

Buy the book at Dedalus Press: http://www.dedaluspress.com/anthologies/shine-on.html

(c) Caitriona Devery, November 2011.