How the NYT covers ‘cli-fi’ genre

Back in August, New York Times reporter Livia Albeck-Ripka, an Australian journalist now living in New York City, contacted me by Twitter and email about a news story she was developing on cli-fi novels, and she asked if I had time to chat with her. I said sure.

She wrote (August 19 email): “Dear Dan, thanks for getting back to me so quickly! I am interested in doing a listicle/round-up of Cli-Fi novels for the New York Times interactive section at the Climate Desk and I am wondering if you can help us. Do you have a running list somewhere/thoughts on where the most comprehensive list might be? Cheers, Liva.”

I sent her a list of cli-fi novels, one short, and one a long list. She decided to use four of the novels I recommended to her and she chose three other novels for her listicle as well. Her news story is reported in an edited version (for clarification and amplification) here.

The result of our email chats later turned up a month later in the New York Times in a wonderfully-illustrated article about cli-fi novels. From our first chat on August 19 to the final publication on September 26, it was just over a month or so. Well done, Livia Albeck-Ripka!

She wrote a fun, interactive piece, well designed on the page and well-promoted on Twitter by her colleagues on the Climate Desk: John Schwartz, Henry Foundation, Hannah Fairfield, Claire O’Neill, Brad Plumer and Lisa Friedman.

Cli-fi is alive and well at the New York Times. Soon Pamela Paul at the New York Times Book Review will be assigning book reviewers to review cli-fi novels and call them.