“Science is very useful in terms of presenting the facts and figures about climate change, but it’s not always very good at inspiring people to make change,” said The Edge of Light: New Dawning author Melanie Dixon.
Set hundreds of years in the future after devastating sea level rise, Dixon’s young-adult novel tells of a secluded society surviving in post-apocalyptic Lyttelton.
Dixon won a Storylines notable young fiction award for it earlier this month.
In the novel, a young apprentice scientist lives on Banks Island, formerly the Port Hills, after Christchurch is submerged.
“There is very little in a New Zealand setting that’s dystopian, that’s post-climate change in speculative fiction,” said Dixon.
She hopes young New Zealanders will connect more with a climate change story set in a place they can relate to.
“We need these New Zealand stories for New Zealanders. We need to see ourselves in our stories.”
Born in Wales, Dixon moved to New Zealand with her then husband in 2002 to find a quieter life.
Her son Reuben, 19, was born in Dunedin, where they initially lived in a waterfront property.
“We were a little bit reluctant to move to Christchurch till we drove over the hill and found Governors Bay.”
The family made the move in 2005. Her daughter Sasha, 16, was born there.
“I love the environment here. I love Governors Bay. I love being able to watch the sun rise out of the sea and over the hills.”
The 49-year-old author said spending time walking and biking in the local environment helped inspire the setting.
“It’s much easier for me to write authentically about Lyttelton than other places in the world,” she said.
The novel follows themes of science versus faith and trust in authority as the young characters work to understand the truth behind their society.
Dixon said her story reflects the pressure put on young people to be the drivers of climate action.
“I think young people feel that weight of responsibility. I wanted to write a book that could perhaps provide a bit of hope that there are possibilities to make change.”
Despite always being law abiding and cautious, the protagonist in Dixon’s story starts to question what she can do to make change in her world devastated by climate change.
“I would like there to be a message that everybody can be empowered to make changes and that we don’t have to accept the world as it is, particularly if we work together,” Dixon said.
She travelled to Auckland to receive the Storylines award on November 4.
“It feels really good. You know, obviously it’s huge recognition. As a writer it can quite often be quite a lonely career. It was really motivating to finish the trilogy and get the next two books out there.”
Readers can find out what happens next in the second instalment of The Edge of Light trilogy, expected to be released next year.
By Dylan Smits
