CARNAL NATION

For those who think, "Dog collars—they're not just for Fido anymore!" and prize Hitachi's Magic Wand over their microwaves, Emily Dubberley has been a household name in the U.K. for years. Since the prolific sex writer (eighteen books and counting) has been bouncing between print and the Internet with a shameless hussy ease for so long that I could think of no better pervert to deliver the down and dirty on the part of the English sex industry that transforms words into wet dreams.

LW: So you've got two new projects (at least that I know about!) that I'd like you to discuss. You're launching a women-oriented smut publication called Erotic Knave, and then there's the Ultimate Decadence anthology that's following on the heels of Ultimate Burlesque. (Disclosure: I'm a contributor to both.) How did these projects come about?

ED: Erotic Knave is an old-school gentleman's magazine that is also aimed at couples. It contains erotic stories, sex tips, profiles of great erotic artists and authors, including Molly Crabapple, China Hamilton, Shiloh Strong, Tristan Taormino and of course, your good self. Also book, music, gadget, film and gourmet food reviews. It came about after I had a meeting with Galaxy and Haversham (the publishers) and they agreed that there was room in the market for something a little classier than the adult magazines that currently fill the shelves; something that would help enhance a couple's sexual experience rather than create a barrier between them.

Ultimate Decadence came about after the success of Ultimate Burlesque last year. Both are erotica anthologies that help raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support as part of Burlesque Against Breast Cancer. I was inspired to create BABC after my mum got cancer two years ago and Macmillan were so supportive. (Mum's had her lump removed and her first year's checkup showed it hasn't come back, which is a massive relief.)

LW: It seems like every sex writer I know knows you or knows someone who knows you. You've been spreading the joy of sex for quite some time! When and how did you get into this genre of writing? Do you ever get bored or do you see yourself remaining on this career path and growing into a dirty old lady?

ED: I guess my start would be when I did my university second year project about male and female attitudes to porn, which I followed with a dissertation on whether women want their fantasies to come true, way back in 1995.

After being short-listed for the Cosmopolitan Journalism Scholarship, and the Company Fiction Writer Award, but being unable to even get unpaid work experience with either magazine, I founded Cliterati in 2001. That site attracted 120,000 page impressions in a day pre-launch, courtesy of The Register running a story on us, and now attracts half a million page impressions per month. After that I was approached to write the Lovers' Guide scripts, followed by being approached to create and launch Scarlet magazine and to write various books.

There are certainly things that I've written about so many times that I have to think of new ways to make them interesting, but I think sex evolves as you get older, learn more and meet more people. As such, the aspects of sex I write about have changed. I'm currently fascinated by Tantra. I'm trying to encourage more of a focus on intimacy as the casual sex trend seems to have taken over, rather than sitting alongside more loving sex, which I think is way healthier. But I'm a writer first and foremost—sex just happens to be the topic I'm most associated with—and I'm currently writing an entirely non-sexual fairytale, among other things.

LW: What's the climate out there for erotica in light of the worldwide economic crisis? Is it better or worse than in years past?

ED: Way worse. The closure of Black Lace was sad news and it seems like more sex magazines are closing every day, which doesn't surprise me as people tend to get more prudish in times of recession. However, it's not all bad news. Xcite Books are still thriving—indeed, growing—and with any luck, Erotic Knave magazine will help stimulate more interest in erotica, too. People will always want a helping hand (ahem) when it comes to getting aroused.

LW: What do you see for the future of erotica now that books have gone the way of the Kindle?

ED: Audio books seem to be increasing in popularity—and leave both hands free which has to be a bonus. Erotica websites are growing massively, too. And I can see increased personalization of erotica, too. Best of all, we seem to be heading to a time when erotica and mainstream literature are getting harder to distinguish. Wouldn't it be nice if people just judged books as books rather than counting erotica as a totally different thing? There's some amazing erotic literature out there, but it's somehow looked down on for being part of the genre, which seems unfair to some of the incredibly talented people in the field.

LW: I've never been a consumer of porn or erotica just because the stuff onscreen and in print usually pales in comparison to the real sex life I've lived. But then I'm in my late thirties, and I wonder about the younger generation, who seem to be sexting before their first kiss. Are people so disconnected and desensitized that the physical act itself has become meaningless? I don't know if I'd want to grow up in a world without carnal knowledge. What are your thoughts on all this?

ED: I'd like a return to a little more mystery as it seems like everyone's competing to be as extreme as they can which then puts pressure, particularly on young women, to try sex acts that really don't appeal. The likes of Two Girls One Cup don't add anything to our collective sexual experience in my point of view. I'd like to see more real sex rather than the violent 'ick factor' porn that seems to be taking over, but hopefully sites like Pornotube or, better, I Shot Myself andI Feel Myself will help people realize that real sex is much more erotic than watching sad-eyed women get demeaned. Maybe gradually we'll return to something more reflective of the real thing.