Share your fantasies for a new book - Interview with Julianne Daly
by Shawna Scott
Sex and sexuality is something we sometimes have difficulty discussing in Ireland, but that has never meant we are any less steamy and wild in the bedroom than any other country. Because of this difficulty, many would default to thinking of something like this Scrap Saturday sketch when putting the words "Irish" and "Sex" into the same sentence.
Fortunately author Julianne Daly has come out to challenge those stereotypes and shine a spotlight on the fantasies of Irish Women. She is currently in the process of crowd sourcing fantasies from women from all over the country and in every age group for her new book with Liberties Press. There is still a couple of days left to contribute (anonymously of course), and she will be raffling off 2 €50 All For One vouchers amongst those who do. You can submit your dirty thoughts here.
Julianne was kind enough to answer a few questions from me about the project.
Tell us a bit about your background and why you chose to compile the fantasies of Irish women.
My background is a broad mix of HR, Communications and in more recent years I've turned to writing. I'm writing this under a pseudonym as it is a very different genre to what I've written before and what I plan to write in the future. Liberties Press approached me as they knew I had a keen interest in exploring subjects that are not openly discussed in Ireland. I couldn't resist taking it on as it is something that has never been done before and a totally new experience for me!
What inspired you, and what kind of research did you do for the book?
Well, it is fun and a bit risqué, yes, but it is also a conversation starter. Why do women in Ireland not talk about sex, their needs and their fantasies more openly? We are multi-faceted beings and although we identify with the role of partner, sister, mother, daughter, worker we don't often put sexual being or lover high up on that list. It's a huge part of who we are and there's nothing wrong with having sexual fantasies. So why not talk about it? I am not an expert on sex or sexuality, I am bringing together the stories of women in Ireland. The book won't contain facts and figures about the sexual fantasies of Irish women. The stories of the women themselves is what the book is all about.
What age groups have contributed so far?
The younger women of Ireland came out on top (excuse the pun). Half of our contributors are aged between eighteen and thirty. Another large cohort is between thirty and forty. We also contributions from women in their forties and fifties and just one currently in her sixties.
How do you view your book? As a sociological reference to modern Irish life? As tool to encourage women's sexuality?
I suppose more so the latter. I hope it will help women to talk more about their fantasies and be more comfortable with their sexuality as a result. It's also just plain fascinating to get a glimpse in to women's innermost thoughts about their partners/female friends/work colleagues!
Have you noticed any patterns in the fantasies?
Yes. Lots of women fantasizing about other women despite considering themselves to be heterosexual. A lot of threesomes, orgies and voyeurism.
Were there any that surprised you?
Yes! One fantasy about a woman who worked in a priest's house made me smile...! Some of them are pretty graphic - I often blush when I'm reading them!
Can we look forward to reading any LGBT fantasies?
Most definitely. At least 30% of contributors consider themselves to be either gay or bisexual.
When's the deadline for submissions? End of the month of January. So - get writing!
So there's you have it, ladies. Get those fingers typing...and other things... It's for the good of the country! Thanks so much to Ms. Daly for being kind enough to answer all my questions.
