Miranda Sherry
Miranda was scared of failing at writing, so she studied drama to get affirmation. Gaining a diploma, she got a job she loved as a voice artist for children’s television. “I was a puppeteer and I…
Sara Baume
Sara has always loved writing, but she thought of herself as an artist first. After art school, she worked in fine art. She had a few shows, and also did some art writing and criticism for…
Brooke Davis
Reading Roald Dahl as a child, Brooke decided to become a writer. “He made me understand magic of words and where they could take you,” she says, citing Matilda as her favourite children’s book. She enjoyed…
Derek Flynn
Derek loved reading and writing as a kid – but it wasn’t until 1997, when he gave up his factory job in Waterford, and moved to New York with his wife, that he started writing in…
Eimear O’Callaghan.
After university, Eimear went straight into journalism, working for the Irish News in Belfast. Then she moved to Dublin and worked for RTE as a TV news reporter. “I was there for two years, then, having…
Damien Burke
After college Damien spent time in Australia before moving to England, where he taught IT in Nottingham, and then Birmingham. Whilst teaching, he met at archivist, and became fascinated in the skill, so, after returning to…
Rose Tremain
Rose Tremain is one of England’s most significant writers. She’s won The Orange Prize; The Whitbread and the The James Tait Black Memorial Prize. She spoke toSue Leonard about her latest collection of short stories. The American…
Colm Tóibín
It’s Dublin on a rainy Autumnal afternoon, and Colm Tóibín is serenading me over the teacups. He’s singing some notes in dulcet Bass tones to demonstrate how, during the audition for a Catholic Church choir in…
Marian Keyes
The Woman who Stole My Life Penguin/Michael Joseph: €14.99; ebook, €8.92 Stella Sweeney’s life is a mess. Returned to Dublin from New York, her marriage is over, her son hates her, and her divorced best friend’s…
Tara Flynn
Tara started life as an actor. After college she moved to Dublin and worked in the theatre, acting, and stage managing. In 1995, when she worked with the Nualas, she co-wrote songs, but it wasn’t until…
Kate Winter
Kate started telling rambling stories as a toddler. At 5, she wrote them down. But she didn’t start writing in earnest until she was in her late twenties. “I was in Australia, and I was…
Nadine Dorries
Nadine Dorries is in a spin. The controversial MP whose just flown in from England for a round of interviews, has been texting her three daughters all morning, making arrangements for tomorrow morning. “We’re converging on…