Burning Books Ireland

Patrick Holloway talks about acting, language, and art as a deeper way of communication as he tells Ruth McKee which books he would save if his house was on fire. Patrick Holloway's debut novel, The Language of Remembering, is out now with Époque Press.

Ashwin Chacko talks about Curdie and the Goblin, Lord of the Rings, The Shack by Paul Young, the Bible and more as he tells Ruth McKee which books he'd save if his house was on fire. Ashwin Chacko is an author, illustrator, and motivational speaker who specialises in positively playful, visual storytelling. His books include Keep At It, Little Optimist, Everybody Feels Fear, and his most recent, Wild City which is published by The O'Brien Press.

Julianne Mooney Siron talks about growing up in Greystones, her travels after college, and returning to Ireland and the Dublin Book Festival as she tells Ruth McKee which books she'd save if her house was on fire. Julianne Mooney Siron has been programming the Dublin Book Festival since 2010. Alongside the festival, she has worked at The Ark, is author of The Time Out Guide to Ireland and was Reader-in-Residence for Dublin City Public Libraries and DLR Libraries. 

Poet Jessica Traynor talks about The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Linda Gregg's All of it Singing, and Mary Ruefle as she explores growing as an artist, a time of loss, and the joy of mystery in poetry as she tells Ruth McKee which books she'd save if her house was on fire.   Jessica Traynor is the author of Liffey Swim (Dedalus Press), The Quick (Dedalus Press), and Pit Lullabies (Bloodaxe Books), and is the poetry editor of Banshee. Her forthcoming collection is New Arcana, which will be published by Bloodaxe Books.

Eoghan Smith talks about the influence of philosophy, learning the piano, and staying curious in his reading and work as he tells Ruth McKee which books he'd save if his house was on fire. Eoghan Smith is the author of The Failing Heart,  A Provincial Death, and A Mind of Winter (Dedalus Books).

Cauvery Madhavan talks about Mulk Raj Anand, Amitav Ghosh, Khalil Gibran and more as she talks to Ruth McKee about starting school early, a tragedy in her life, and moving to Ireland when she was 23. Discover the books she'd save if her house was on fire in the latest episode of Burning Books.   Cauvery Madhavan was born in India and moved to Ireland thirty-three years ago. She is the author of Paddy Indian, The Uncoupling, and The Tainted. Her latest novel, The Inheritance (HopeRoad Publishing), is out now.

Michael Magee talks about his early life, finding the path to becoming a writer, and the influence of Hemmingway and Chekhov—and much more—for this special live recording of Burning Books at the West Cork Literary Festival. Michael Magee's debut novel Close To Home won the Rooney Prize for Literature, the Nero Book Award for Debut Fiction and the Waterstones Irish Book of the Year in 2023.

Sarah Webb talks about her early days in Waterstones, how she doesn't write for the market, and learning to give time to what's important, as she tells Ruth McKee which books she'd save if her house was on fire.   Sarah Webb is an award-winning Irish children's writer and creative writing teacher. She is also the events manager at Halfway up the Stairs children's bookshop in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Her books include Blazing a Trail: Irish Women who Changed the World (illustrated by Lauren O'Neill) and I am the Wind: Irish Poems for Children Everywhere (co-edited by Lucinda Jacob, illustrated by Ashwin Chacko). Her latest book is The Weather Girls (The O'Brien Press) which was inspired by real WW2 events in Ireland.

Catherine Dunne talks about her childhood in Clontarf, an inspiring teacher, and what led her to write her new novel as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire.  Catherine Dunne is the author of several award-winning novels, essays, and one work of non-fiction. She received the 2018 Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Contribution to Irish Literature and is a member of Aosdána. Her latest book, A Good Enough Mother, is out now (Betimes Books).

Rónán Hession talks about the natural buoyancy of observations which make it to the page, using a fragment from the day in his writing, and the juice at the heart of a creative work as he tells Ruth McKee which books he'd save if his house was on fire.  Rónán Hession is the multi award winning novelist of Leonard and Hungry Paul (Bluemoose Books, 2019), and Panenka (Bluemoose Books, 2021). His latest novel, Ghost Mountain, is out now, with Bluemoose Books. 

Jane Casey talks about The Hounds of the Morrigan, The Secret History, The Wild Places and more as she explores how it feels to live between London and Dublin, writing the beloved character Maeve Kerrigan, and how there is one book she is reluctant to ever finish. Jane Casey is the best-selling author of the Maeve Kerrigan crime series, and the stand-alone The Killing Kind. Her latest book, A Stranger in the Family, is out now with Harper Collins.  

Jackie Lynam talks about her early reading, Marianne Power, Bob Geldof, the inspiration of Constellations by Sinéad Gleeson, and how a book started the romance with her future husband as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire. Jackie Lynam is the author of Traces, her debut collection of poems and essays which engage with the body, illness, motherhood, music, family and friendship. You can find Traces in Books Upstairs, Alan Hanna's Bookshop, and borrow it from libraries nationwide.

Noel O'Regan talks about a reading switch turning on as a teenager, Carver, McGahern, learning from Claire Keegan, and his desire to become a writer as he tells Ruth McKee which books he would save if his house was on fire.   Noel O'Regan is from Tralee, in Co. Kerry. His short fiction is published in The Stinging Fly, Granta, Ambit, Banshee and The London Magazine. His debut novel, Though the Bodies Fall, is published by Granta Books. 

Órfhlaith Foyle talks about a kind of faith in creativity, a different way of being in the world as a writer, and a sense of the other-worldly as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire.   Órfhlaith Foyle writes fiction, poetry and drama and lives in Galway. Her work includes the novel Belios (Lilliput Press) and the collections Revenge, Red Riding Hood's Dilemma, Somewhere In Minnesota, and Clemency Browne Dreams of Gin (Arlen House). Her latest short story collection is Three Houses in Rome, published by Doire Press.

Anne Tannam talks about Angus Fletcher, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, and the crone energy which runs through her forthcoming collection as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire.  Anne Tannam is Poet in Residence with Poetry Ireland (2023 - 2025). She is the author of three poetry collections: Take This Life (Wordonthestreet 2011), Tides Shifting Across My Sitting Room Floor (Salmon 2017) and Twenty-six Letters of a New Alphabet (Salmon 2021). Her fourth collection dismantle is forthcoming with Salmon in early 2024.

Thomas Morris talks about The Outsider by Albert Camus, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, and discovering an inner life as he tells Ruth McKee which books he'd save if his house was on fire.   Thomas Morris's debut story collection We Don't Know What We're Doing won The Wales Book of the Year Award, The Rhys Davies Trust Fiction Award, and a Somerset Maugham Prize. Born and raised in Caerphilly, South Wales, he now lives in Dublin, where he is Editor-at-Large at The Stinging Fly. His new collection Open Up, is out now with Faber.

Kevin Curran talks about Claire Keegan, William Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy and many more, revealing how teaching, reading and writing are the touchstones of his life—as he tells Ruth McKee which books he'd save if his house was on fire. Kevin Curran is from Balbriggan and has been a secondary-school teacher in his hometown for over a decade. His fiction largely concentrates on working class life in the Dublin suburbs. His first novel, Beatsploitation, was published in 2013 and brought him national attention due to his depiction of Ireland's new multicultural landscape. Citizens was published in 2016, and his new novel, Youth, is out now with Lilliput Press.

Author Una Mannion talks about Pippi Longstocking, Anne Carson, and the distillation and immediacy of the short story as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire. Una Mannion's first novel, A Crooked Tree, was published in 2021. Her latest book, Tell Me What I Am, is out now with Faber.

Claire Kilroy talks about the genesis of her new novel Soldier, Sailor which took over a decade to emerge, how early motherhood affected her creativity, and the profound rewiring that happens to you as an artist and as a person when you have a child. Claire Kilroy won the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature in 2004, and is the author of All Summer, (Faber 2003), Tenderwire, (Faber 2006), All Names Have Been Changed, (Faber 2009), and The Devil I Know (Faber 2012), which was described by The Guardian as “a satiric danse macabre of brio and linguistic virtuosity.” Her new novel, Soldier, Sailor (Faber) is out now.

John Banville talks about the mystery in great art, the escape into life rather than out of it, the observation at work in the heart of good writing, bearing witness to the world in all its beauty and horror—and also cats and dogs… John Banville, who won the Booker Prize in 2005 for his novel The Sea is known for his exquisite use of language, acutely observed characters, and novels which are not afraid to look into the dark. He has written a library of literary masterpieces, including Mefisto (1986), The Infinities (2009), and Ancient Light (2012). His latest book The Lock-Up is out now with Faber.

Shane Hegarty talks about Douglas Adams, Clive James and Marvel comics, exploring the balance of funny and profound as he chooses the books he would save if his house was on fire. Author and journalist Shane Hegarty is one of Ireland's most popular writers of children's fiction, including the best-selling series Darkmouth and Boot. His new book, Big Berry Robbery, is the next in The Book of Impossible Ice Creams series, and is out now with Hachette. 

Sophie White talks about Stephen King, Nuala O'Faolain, and Marian Keyes, exploring why she is drawn to horror stories, the choppy waters of motherhood, and much more besides, as she chooses the books she would save if her house was on fire. Sophie White is a writer and podcaster from Dublin. She is the author of several books, including the recent highly acclaimed Corpsing: My Body and Other Horror Shows (2021), and Where I End (2022), both published by Tramp Press.

Andrew Meehan talks about Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Amy Bloom, Joan Didion, Ivan Turgenev and much more as he discusses love, endings and sadness with Ruth McKee, choosing the books he would save if his house was on fire. Andrew Meehan's debut, One Star Awake was longlisted for the 2018 Desmond Elliott Prize, the UK's most prestigious award for debut novelists. His second book, The Mystery of Love, is a moving and unique reimagining of the relationship between Oscar and Constance Wilde. His latest novel, Instant Fires, is out now with New Island.

Martina Devlin talks about Benedict Kiely, Mary Shelley and a woman who turns into a fox as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire. Martina Devlin is an award winning journalist and author. Her latest novel Edith, based on the life of Edith Somerville, is out now with Lilliput Press. 

Roma Wells talks about the search for meaning, the joy in small things and the solace she finds in nature as she tells Ruth McKee which books she'd save if her house was on fire—with titles from Camus, Nabokov, Lemony Snicket and many more. Roma Wells is the author of Seek the Singing Fish, her debut novel published by époque press.

Bernie McGill talks about Aesop's Fables, the Irish short story, Lincoln in the Bardo and the pact between the author and the reader as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire.  Bernie McGill is the author of two novels, The Butterfly Cabinet and The Watch House and two collections of short stories, Sleepwalkers, and most recently This Train is For, published by No Alibis Press. 

The next episode of Burning Books features novelist and short story writer Bernie McGill, who talks about Aesop's Fables, Lincoln in the Bardo and much more as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire. 

Olivia Fitzsimons talks about Hans Christian Andersen, Raymond Carver, Donna Tartt, and echoes through time as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire. Olivia Fitzsimons is an award-winning short story writer whose debut novel, The Quiet Whispers Never Stop, is out now with John Murray.

Join Ruth McKee from Friday 13th May when she'll be talking with author Olivia Fitzsimons to discover which books she would save if her house was on fire. Olivia Fitzsimons' debut novel The Quiet Whispers Never Stop is out now with John Murray. 

Laura McVeigh talks about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, reading in translation, and Ways of Seeing by John Berger as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire.  Laura McVeigh's debut novel Two Roads was published by John Murray Press in 2017. Her new book Lenny (New Island) is a magical tale of family, loss and the redemptive power of the imagination to heal and survive.

Join Ruth McKee from Friday 1st April when she will be talking with author Laura McVeigh to find out which books she would save if her house was on fire. Laura McVeigh's new novel, Lenny, is out now with New Island. 

Audrey Magee talks about the transformative work of Marguerite Duras, her love of theatre, language and the stillness she needs to write, as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire.  Audrey Magee's first novel, The Undertaking, was shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, and for France's Festival du Premier Roman. Sarah Moss describes her new novel, The Colony (Faber) as “a vivid and memorable book about art, youth, love and sex, land and language.”

Join Ruth McKee from Friday 4th February, when she will be talking with author Audrey Magee to find out which books she would save if her house was on fire. Audrey Magee's new novel, The Colony, is out now with Faber. 

Author Wendy Erskine talks to Books Ireland editor Ruth McKee about Molly Keane's Good Behaviour, Ian Hunter's Diary of a Rock and Roll Star and how reading a book when you're twenty is very different to encountering it at fifty—as she reveals which books she would save if her house was on fire. Wendy Erskine's first short story collection, Sweet Home, was published by The Stinging Fly Press in Sept 2018, and Picador in 2019. Her new collection Dance Move will be published by Picador in February 2022. 

Author Wendy Erskine talks to Books Ireland editor Ruth McKee about Molly Keane's Good Behaviour, Ian Hunter's Diary of a Rock and Roll Star and how reading a book when you're twenty is very different to encountering it at fifty—as she reveals which books she would save if her house was on fire. From Friday 17th December, wherever you get your podcasts.

Author Donal Ryan talks to Books Ireland editor Ruth McKee about empathy, the mystery at the heart of writing, Doris Lessing, and having a crush on Sylvia Plath—as he reveals which books he would save if his house was on fire. Donal Ryan is an acclaimed Irish novelist and short story writer, with best-selling books including The Spinning Heart (2012), which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, The Thing About December (2013), All We Shall Know (2016), and Strange Flowers (2020). He is the first Irish winner of the prestigious Jean Monnet Prize for European Literature for his fifth novel, From A Low And Quiet Sea (2018).

Author Donal Ryan talks to Books Ireland editor Ruth McKee about empathy, the mystery at the heart of writing, Doris Lessing, and having a crush on Sylvia Plath—as he reveals which books he would save if his house was on fire. From Friday 26th November, wherever you get your podcasts.

Nuala O'Connor talks about miniature dolls, the beauty of short things, quitting alcohol and clearing the decks at fifty as she tells Ruth McKee which books she would save if her house was on fire.  Nuala O'Connor is the author of Becoming Belle (2018), Miss Emily (2015), The Closet of Savage Mementos (2014), You (2010) and six short story collections, her most recent being Joyride to Jupiter. Her fifth novel Nora is about Nora Barnacle, wife and muse to James Joyce, published in Ireland in April 2021 with New Island, and is the One Dublin One Book for 2022. 

Author Nuala O'Connor talks to Books Ireland editor Ruth McKee about miniature dolls, the beauty of short things, quitting alcohol and clearing the decks at fifty in the next episode of Burning Books, out on Friday 12th November on all podcast platforms.

Novelist and short-story writer Kit de Waal talks to Ruth McKee about The Bible, Donal Ryan, Penguin classics, the sea and much more as she reveals what books she would save if her house was burning, and which text she studied at school she'd leave in there to burn… Kit de Waal's debut novel My Name is Leon was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and her second, The Trick To Time was longlisted for the Women's Prize For Fiction. She's the author of the young adult book Becoming Dinah and is the editor of Common People, an anthology of working-class writers. 

Novelist and short-story writer Kit de Waal talks to Books Ireland editor Ruth McKee about Donal Ryan, Penguin classics, revenge, the sea and much more for the next episode of Burning Books, released on Friday 24th September on all podcast platforms.

Ethel Rohan talks to Books Ireland editor Ruth McKee about Emily Brontë, John Irving, and Elizabeth Strout as she reveals which books she would pull from the flames (and which classic Irish text she would leave in there to burn!). Ethel Rohan is the award winning author of The Weight of Him (St. Martin's Press and Atlantic Books, 2017) and of the new short story collection, In the Event of Contact (Dzanc Books 2021), described as “a taut and melancholy meditation on human (dis)connection in overlooked places and among underseen people.” —Sally Franson, San Francisco Chronicle

Rick O'Shea talks to Books Ireland editor Ruth McKee about a precious edition, his love of art, and Yoko Ono as he reveals what books he would save from the flames (and if he'd leave any behind to burn). Rick O'Shea is a man of many talents, but is best known as a radio presenter on RTÉ and as the founder of the much loved Rick O'Shea Book Club.

What books would you save if your house was on fire? Patrick Freyne talks to Books Ireland editor Ruth McKee about comics, clutter, music and much more as he reveals what books he would save from the flames (and which he'd happily leave to burn). Patrick Freyne is a short story writer, essayist, and feature writer with The Irish Times. His latest book Ok, Let's Do Your Stupid Idea is published by Penguin. 

What books would you save if your house was on fire? Books Ireland Editor Ruth McKee asks Jan Carson about growing up in Co. Antrim, religious hardwiring, magic realism and much more as she reveals the books she would pull from the flames—and the ones she'd leave behind.  Jan Carson is the author of Malcom Orange Disappears, Children's Children, Postcard Stories (The Emma Press) and The Fire Starters (Penguin) which won the European Prize for Literature. Her latest book The Last Resort has just been published with Doubleday Ireland. 

If your house was on fire, what books would you save from the flames?    The Books Ireland podcast features authors and well-known cultural figures discussing the titles that have formed the backdrop to their lives—their childhood memories perhaps, or books they fell in love with. Maybe there are authors they return to over and over, or novels which formed their world view—stories that shaped them or books which offered a refuge or a life raft. Editor Ruth McKee asks each guest which books they'd save, which they'd leave behind, and what other non-book treasure they would rescue from the flames.