Fiadh opens door to fantasy world

READERS are offered a tantalising glimpse into a mythical world conjured by the mind of a child with the release of Dingle woman Fiadh Melina Brosnan’s first book, entitled Lebohra.

Fiadh first imagined her fantasy world of Lebohra, where several dimensions populated by gods and mythical beings revolve around one globe, when she was in her tweens. But even though her love of reading was already growing into a love of writing, she felt she was too young to begin to find the words to breathe life into her vision.

The words have since come to her and with Lebohra – subtitled ‘Histories Volume One’ – Fiadh draws inspiration from sources as diverse as Greek mythology and Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings as she begins to sketch the outlines of a mysterious, sometimes brutal, multi-dimensional world where humans are among the lesser beings.

Through the prism of this other world Fiadh touches on issues of this world – from politics to social crises to motherhood. “Lebohra grants me a land where I can retell the story of a war child, a homophobic father, a girl with a mind that is far too much for her, and add a twist of magic or science fiction to make people think it couldn’t possibly be real. But deep down we know it’s just around the corner,” Fiadh says in the introduction to her book.

Fiadh, who has just completed a degree in Politics and Classics at UCD is planning to do a masters in Classics in Trinity College. In the meantime she is involved in directing and script-writing for film and is currently putting the finishing touches to “a little love story” entitled ‘Stone’ that she plans to submit to film festivals next year.

Lebohra is available at Leac a Ré bookshop in the Quay, Dingle, and online at Amazon and Bookdepository.

Photo by Declan Malone Fiadh Melina Brosnan with her daughter Selene.