Dreams Under Totalitarianism

What happens when the harsh realities of our daily lives — death, war, illness, hardship — invade that most private of realms — our sleep? Four poets and writers explore how things show up in dreams that otherwise can't be expressed, and how they've used the subconscious to inspire their creative work.

This conversation was recorded at the Addi Road Writers Festival on 17 May 2025.

Speakers

Mireille Juchau - Essayist, novelist, critic, author of The World Without Us and more

Peter Boyle - Poet and translator, author of nine poetry collections including Companions, Ancestors, Inscriptions (shortlisted, 2025 Prime Minister's Literary Awards)

Šime Knežević Poet and playwright, author of the poetry collection In Your Dreams

Felicity Plunkett (host) Critic, editor and poet, author of Vanishing Point and more

Further information:

How Dreams Change Under Authoritarianism — New Yorker magazine, 7 November 2019

Red Room Poetry Month 2025

The neuroscience of sleep and its disorders - Big Ideas, Monday 9 May 2022