Author Briohny Doyle: ‘The myth of motherhood is that it’s fantastic even when it’s hard work’

With her second novel Echolalia, Doyle picks up threads about climate crisis and social expectation and weaves them into a portrait of prosperity’s declineEcholalia is a strange word. “It’s a beautiful word that describes speech patterns of autistic and neurotypical children’s development: they repeat what you say to them,” explains Briohny Doyle.For this Australian author, it’s also freighted with allegory: Echolalia is the title of Doyle’s latest novel. “The book is structured around the repetitions we unconsciously make, mimicry and learned behaviour, and about echoes in general, across time and generations,” she says. Related: Echolalia by Briohny Doyle – a dark, deft and gripping read about mania and motherhood Refusing to acknowledge certain realities – mental health issues or addiction for instance – doesn’t make them go away Related: ‘You need to be cold, calm and ruthless’: Muay Thai training taught me more than how to fight Continue reading...