A Short {-Storied} Introduction to Contemporary Irish Fiction
As someone who ‘reads,’ and lives in Ireland, I am often asked for recommendations of contemporary Irish fiction. Alas, I am a bit late in following through. The best time for me to have done this, would have been 8 or so years ago. Long enough after having moved here to understand the writing in its proper context, but still fresh enough in my foreignness to be observant in a way that only an outsider can be.
Now in my 12th year living in rural Ireland, I have perhaps acclimatised too much. Certain things that would have struck me as remarkable, or Irish-specific, years ago, now feel normal to the point I might not even think to point them out.
That being said, I have just returned to reading after a substantial hiatus. So perhaps the renewed enthusiasm makes this as good a time as any. It is also rather serendipitous that one of my long time colleagues in the fibre arts happens to be the owner of the fabled Vibes and Scribes book shop in Cork. They were able to help me source some of the books that I could not find locally, and offered their perspective on the state of contemporary Irish fiction.
I will say as a preface here, that I use the term ‘contemporary fiction’ literally, to mean writers who are currently living. And that more specifically, I am referring to literary fiction, rather than genres such as crime, adventure, or romance novels. And finally, a more accurate title for this post would have been ‘An Introduction to My Taste in Contemporary Irish Fiction.’ This collection is very much non-exhaustive, with a focus on writers of my generation or older.
This last bit is particularly important. In a broad sense, contemporary Irish fiction can be divided into pre-millennial and millennial (not according to publication date, but according to author’s age). And the two are vastly different. This is unsurprising, when we consider that Ireland as a society has been undergoing dramatic transformations starting in the late 1990s. The millennial authors essentially grew up in an entirely different culture, and this is reflected both in the themes and in the style of their writing.
Regardless of whether your preferences ultimately lie in the older, or the younger generation of contemporary Irish writers, I would recommend starting with the former. It sets the scene, so to speak, providing a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural context.
The other recommendation I would make, is to begin with short story collections by several different authors, rather than full fledged novels by one author at a time. If I were to use one word to describe pre-millennial contemporary Irish fiction, it would be heavy. There is sinking, entrenched feeling to it, a claustrophobia even. If accustomed to it, the novels might be too much, emotionally, to begin with. There is also of course the logistical pragmatism of it, in that short story collections offer a varied introduction to each author.
And so, by way of introduction to contemporary Irish fiction, I recommend these short story collections from some of my favourite authors:
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John Banville, Long Lankin
One of the better known pre-millennial Irish writers, John Banville is often compared to Proust and Nabokov. A sentimental, ruminative style of writing, exploring themes of memory, love and loss. The Long Lankin short story collection is out of print I think and difficult to find, but worth it.
Anne Enright, Yesterday’s Weather
Almost the polar opposite to Banville above, Anne Enright’s style is probably the most straightforward and unembellished among her contemporaries. Also quite witty. Themes centre on family and spousal relations. Similarly to the above, the Yesterday’s Weather short story collection is out of print, but worth hunting down.
Edna O’Brian, Lantern Slides
Voluptuously dark, often chaotic explorations of pre-1980s rural Ireland. The writing style is difficult to describe; it’s dramatic and vicious at times, but also realistic - which is what makes it unsettling.
Bernard Laverty, Blank Pages
A calm and thoughtful writer, exploring themes of sadness, political conflict, and decay, in quiet and subtle ways. Many stories are set in Northern Ireland, during the times of the Troubles.
Anne Devlin, The Apparitions
A Belfast-born writer like Laverty exploring similar themes, Anne Devlin’s writing is fast-paced and punchy, sometimes abrupt, a chain of reactions. The thinking happens after reading, and it does leave a lasting effect.
Claire Keegan, Antarctica
Hiberno-gothic, with a tendency toward minimalism. I have an entire separate post dedicated to Claire Keegan here!
Jacki McCarrick, The Scattering
Thematically I perhaps relate to Jacki McCarrick the most, because she tends to write about the border areas between the North and South of Ireland. An engaging and not overembellished writing stye, with subtle undercurrents of dread.
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In addition to these, I recommend looking at some anthologies and literary magazines - especially if you are interested in younger authors.
The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers
The Glass Shore: Short Stories by Women Writers from the North of Ireland
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In the process of compiling this list, I had an interesting conversation with Brian Wong, manager of the Vibes & Scribes book shop. From the popularity of crime novels, to the international sensationalism of the young millennials on whose novels Netflix series are based, I realised that my taste in Irish fiction is actually quite niche and indicative of my age. Which might very well be the way things remain. Or perhaps not. After re-reading the authors I already know, my plan is to order the latest issue of Gorse and see where that takes me. Perhaps somewhere new and unexplored - from whence I might report back in future.
