British Journal of Canadian Studies

Abstract

There is an absence of representation of Newfoundland outside its borders which paradoxically co-exists with an abundance of stereotypical depictions fostered by the tourist trade. Writers such as Robin McGrath can help us to fully incorporate Newfoundland and Labrador into our imaginative frames of reference. She is a poet, novelist, documentarist, and essayist, and in this interview, conducted in January and March 2008, she identifies her sources and goals as an artist and researcher and gives clues to the understanding of Newfoundland's literature and culture. She discusses ideas which appeal to (and also trouble) local and non-local readers, such as the question of geographic determinism and the sense of place, the misrepresentations of Newfoundland and the memory of historical injustice, the role of Inuit writing in mainstream culture, the dynamics of genre-production, and so on.