Cohen highlights how so many of the books people claim fall into this category, including her own, are in fact, works of autofiction. She emphasises that the pervasion of these stories in contemporary literary fiction is perhaps more telling of the general state of women’s mental health rather than a simple aesthetic or fad.
Author: Jessica Sant
Building off their foremothers such as Margaret Atwood, Angela Carter, and Isabel Allende, many contemporary feminist authors use this specific brand of magical realism to explore the delusional, dream-like landscapes long thought to be the mind of a woman.
“As Australians, we’re all so accustomed to consuming culture about foreign places. I think reading stories set at home can be really powerful. It sort of gives us permission to think of our lives as worthy of artistic attention.”