Interview of Sinéad Stubbins by Haylee Hackenberg
Stinkbug, by Sinéad Stubbins, is a pacey, unhinged delight. Described as ‘corporate gothic’, it is equal parts relatable and terrifying. Having worked in the corporate world for a while now, it was unsettling to see so much of what has become an acceptable part of our everyday working lives reflected as a satirical, hilarious, horror story. I could not put this book down. Sinéad explains what a workplace stinkbug is below. Hint: if you don’t know one, you probably are one.
Firstly, congratulations on Stinkbug. I’m sure you’re getting sick of this question, but I have to ask: what (or who!) inspired the story?
Thanks! A lot of things inspired Stinkbug, really. Something I’d noticed in the last few years was infiltration of wellness terms into corporate vernacular, but more in a performative box-ticking way rather than actually caring about their employees’ wellbeing. Like those workplaces with a really toxic culture that think they can get away with it by giving you a free mindfulness lesson on your lunch break – just pay me properly, please! I wanted to take that corporate hypocrisy and stretch it to the extreme.
I found myself bouncing back and forth between cringing at Edith – at times even actively disliking her- and identifying with her overthinking and vulnerability. Was that a conscious choice or more just how she evolved as you wrote?
I definitely wanted Edith to feel a bit unreliable – there are specific things she doesn’t reveal to the other characters (or even the reader) until near the end of the book. But I guess I didn’t think about whether she was acting in a bad or unlikeable way, because that judgement might have made its way into the book. I find it so interesting that people have such different reads on whether her (admittedly unhinged) behaviour is justified or not.
For anyone who hasn’t read the book, can you explain the concept of a stinkbug and why you included it as a central theme in the story? Are there other (fictional) stinkbugs you can compare Edith to?
So a ‘stinkbug’ is someone with such a toxic, negative energy, and just being near them in the workplace makes you toxic by association – which is a nightmare for these employees who are about to experience mass redundancies. The protagonist of Yellowface is a stinkbug for sure…
Stinkbug is your first published fictional work, but you’ve got a hefty portfolio of nonfiction up your sleeve. I found that the absurdly wonderful humour in Stinkbug echoed the humour of your previous work. Why do we need funny books on our shelves?
I think funny writing is often dismissed as trivial, but it’s such a fantastic vessel for real conversations about love and relationships and even trauma. Just because something makes you laugh doesn’t mean it’s not a careful examination of authentic experience. Reading should be enjoyable!
Finally, what’s next? Will we see more corporate gothic fiction from you?
I’ve taken a small break, but I have a slightly crazy idea for a second novel up my sleeve. Stay tuned!
