Happily ever after in the age of climate crisis: The argument for “cli-ro”

As a research team formed of creative writing scholars and practitioners, we investigate climate change fiction, exploring the artistic and emotionally supportive possibilities of storytelling. In this article we explore the intersections between climate fiction and commercial romance fiction by analysing three case studies: Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You, Rachel Griffin’s The Nature of Witches and Aya de León’s Side Chick Nation. We examine the ways in which they explore, challenge and offer strategies for engaging with the climate crisis in an optimistic relationship-oriented genre, considering the complications of subgenre and positionality.