Anyone who lives or has lived abroad acknowledges the role of literature in approaching a new culture, and getting to know its history, pulse, and nuances. I have always felt Irish authors have quite a specific voice. While (in my very limited knowledge) they touch upon a vast breadth of topics and situations, all those I have read maintain a calm, reflective and warm voice. Here are my suggestions (and some from friends) of books by Irish authors.
To get a sense of Irish culture, I would start by recommending A ghost in the throat, by Doireann Ni Ghriofa. While relating on her motherhood (in a quite unusual and captivating way) she connects with Eibhlín Dubh Ní’, a poetess of the 18th century, in a way that brilliantly connects past and present.
For a taste of rural Ireland in the ’70s, read Foster, by Claire Keegan, the deeply moving story of an Irish little girl who spends a summer with a family of farmers, and experiences welcoming and love. With well described characters, this short tale brings us to the heart of Irish hospitality.
Colm Tóibín is not just a great author, but a lovely person (though this is often the case ). He has written extensively and about different countries and situations, and talks extensively of LGBTQ+ issues. His best known books on Ireland are Bad Blood: A Walk Along the Irish Border, on the history of Northern Ireland, and Brooklyn, which earned him the Costa Book Award. This is a particularly interesting book for the readers of Expatbooks because it tells the story of an Irish girl who migrated to the New York, and talks with great sensibility of all the phases we all go through when relocating. Long Island is the sequel to Brooklyn, but I have not read it (yet!).
Amongst my favourite Irish authors is Colun McCann. He explores a lot outside of the Irish borders, but his elegance and delicacy are very Irish. He is well known for his Apeirogon, which delves into the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the story of two parents who have both lost their children. While in Apeirogon Colun gives ample proof of his amazing capacity of bringing us into the heart of human tragedies with the utmost respect, I would invite you to also read Dancer, the story of Nureyev, a fabulous book, or Let the great world spin, a lighter novel set in New York. His last work, American mothers, shows once more how the author is at his best when connecting to human stories – will this be something very Irish ? I suspect so.
I don’t know John Boyne (apart from the fact that he is the author of the famous The boy in the striped pyjamas, but he comes as highly recommended by someone I totally trust. He is also very productive, and amongst his titles are The absolutist, A history of loneliness, A ladder to the sky. The echo chamber is apparently quite hilarious: he wrote it as a reaction to the backlash to his book My brother’s name is Jessica.
Please don’t hesitate to send your favourite titles of Irish authors! We’ll be happy to add them.
Claudia Landini
Cover photo from Unsplash