The Lightning by Jamie Guiney: A beautifully observed, big-hearted debut novel
The protagonist, a solitary lighthouse keeper south of Greenland, shines out strong and clear
Love Scene by Anna Carey: A novel full of hope and heart
Carey excels at describing the joys and horrors of creative endeavour
Before Dorothy: Aunt Em origin story a fresh and vivid Wizard of Oz tribute
The Emily of Hazel Gaynor’s novel is one of three sisters from an Irish immigrant family
Our Song by Anna Carey: A romantic and heart-warming love story
This best-friends-reunited tale is given added depth by its nuanced exploration of creative endeavour
Joe O’Byrne: ‘We’re having the reactivation of the type of politics that we saw in the early 1930s’
His debut novel, The Red Orchestra in Blue, about two real-life heroes of Nazi Germany, contains warnings about ‘the perils of where we’re heading’
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon: Fictionalised murder mystery inspired by a towering real-life midwife
Martha Ballard’s impressive life and legacy in the 18th century are celebrated via fiction
International Literature Festival 2025: 200 events offering energising conversations and informed perspectives
As digital algorithms affirm pre-existing viewpoints, public discussion is more important than ever
Green Ink by Stephen May: Smart and energetic, with memorable characters and sharp asides
An energetic ragtime with a memorable cast of characters and some sharp asides
Twenty-Twenty Vision by Mary Morrissy: A collection of stories that feels like eavesdropping on a group of friends
Eighteen interlinked tales exploring all manner of troubles and unravellings, from tired marriages and adult children to retirement
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall: A vivid, forceful love story that plays out like a thriller
No surprise that the film rights have been snapped up by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine
The Woman in the Wallpaper by Lora Jones: French Revolution and its impact on women
A highly visual, immersive novel in which the lives of three women are no longer mapped out from birth
Fire by John Boyne: Monstrous surgeon at dark heart of this memorable novel will invade your dreams
The third novel of a cycle of four with abuse as their central theme makes for a powerful read
The 100 Archive: ‘The Irish design diaspora is truly global, yet their work is rarely recognised as Irish’
Irish Design Week 2024: Leading designers created the 100 Archive website to chart the past, present and future of the creative work that’s all around us
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout: When Lucy met Olive
Two of the author’s best-known characters cross paths for the first time in her latest novel