Jill Dawson
SOME years ago the writer Jill Dawson discovered the novels of Patricia Highsmith and became somewhat obsessed. She read The Talented Mr Ripley first, then started discussing Highsmith, and exchanging novels with her sister. “The novels…
EM Reapy
IN 2011, when Elizabeth Reapy set off for Australia, she was seething with anger. A child of the ’80s who had previously only known good times, she could no longer stand living in recession-fuelled Ireland; she…
Shirley-Anne McMillan
Shirley-Anne started writing as a teenager, penning song lyrics and poetry. And when she became a teacher, working in Integrated Schools, she turned her hand to children’s stories and picture books. But her debut is YA…
Colette Dartford
Raised in London by Irish parents, Colette spent all her childhood holidays in County Wexford. After taking her primary degree Colette worked, but stopped when she had her daughter, at 25. Later, after her return to…
Cat Hogan
Cat has always loved books. And, when she was a child, her imagination was stirred by her father. “He had worked in the Merchant Navy, and then he joined Irish Lights. He would tell the four…
Lia Mills at the WCLF.
Summer is literary festival season in Ireland, a chance for readers to meet writers and for books to be rediscovered. I was thrilled to be invited back to my favourite festival – the West Cork Literary…
Mike McCormack
MIKE MCCORMACK is happy. It’s the afternoon of the launch of his latest novel, Solar Bones, and whatever reception the book might receive, he is satisfied that everyone involved in its production has given it their…
Geraldine Mills
Geraldine has always enjoyed painting pictures with words. One of ten children, she had a rural upbringing. “I spent most of my childhood playing in the woods. It’s made me aware of nature, and how to…
Zadie Smith and Nick Laird in Bantry
I’m just back from my eighth visit to the West Cork Literary Festival; and it was one of the best ever. Zadie Smith and Nick Laird were amazing interviewees on Saturday night. Nick had the audience…
Ciara Geraghty
FROM the moment Ciara Geraghty burst onto the book scene in 2009, she has been an author to reckon with. Compared favourably to Marian Keyes and Jojo Moyes, her books have that same warmth tinged with…
Alice Carey
Brought up in New York to Irish parents, Alice was an only child with an abusive father. Lonely, she started writing diaries when she was 10. After university Alice became an actress, mostly in fringe theatre,…
Vanessa Ronan
When Vanessa Ronan rang her father to tell him that Penguin were publishing her first novel, he was on the golf course in Texas, and didn’t want to be interrupted. And when Vanessa blurted out her…