James Bradley’s magnificent book Deep Water is a hymn to the beauty, mystery and wonder of the ocean. Byron Writers Festival spoke with him about the world beneath.
How does Byron Shire’s salty, surfy life square with the ‘Age of Emergency’?
Being near the ocean changes you by helping you see that we’re all part of something larger. I suspect that’s one of the things that draws people to Byron, and why so many people there understand that dealing with the climate crisis requires more than just transitioning to renewables, it demands we find ways of relating to each other and the world around us that are founded in justice and care rather than exploitation and consumption.
What did the shire’s coastline look like before European invasion?
I don’t know the history of the area well enough to answer that, but what I can tell you is that the coast was very different before Europeans invaded. If you read the accounts of early explorers and settlers the ocean was absolutely filled with fish and other animals, and there were huge oyster beds up and down the coast that were cared for by First Nations cultures. That abundance has largely disappeared: only ten per cent of rock oysters and one per cent of flat oyster beds remain, and populations of fish and other animals have also drastically declined, and that process is accelerating, as the bleaching events on the reef make clear. But the really good news is that, as the recovery of whales shows, it’s possible to turn that around: that will mean an end to overfishing, more marine reserves, and real action on climate change, but it’s all doable.
At the festival, you’ll be featuring in a conversation about psychedelic drugs. What have they taught you?
I’m one of the fortunate people who’s had a really positive experience with psychedelic therapy, which has changed my life in really positive ways. As a result I’m really excited that Australia is moving to make the therapies more widely available, although we need to be sure we have proper ethical and medical structures. The experience itself was quite confronting in a lot of ways, but it’s given me insights that have helped me feel more connected to the people around me and to deal with some things that happened when I was young, and I’m very grateful for that.
Catch James Bradley at the festival on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 August.
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