FANS of Roddy Doyle who fear his books are destined to become ever bleaker will be pleased to learn the author is working on a novel that promises a return to his earlier comic form.
Called The Last Round-up, it is the story of a man who is so old he imagines he was present at all the great events in Irish history.
When Mr Doyle read an extract from the book at the Literaturhaus in Frankfurt, he warned readers that its publication may be a long way off.
"I've already written 25,000 words and he hasn't even been born yet," he said, after reading a passage in which the narrator recalls his parents' first meeting.
The extract from The Last Roundup was a bonus at the end of a gripping reading from The Woman Who Walked Into Walls, Mr Doyle's most recent novel.
The author reads his work exceptionally well, bringing a finely controlled passion to this monologue about a victim of domestic violence.
Given the unprecedented level of positive publicity Ireland is receiving in Germany this week, Mr Doyle's reading was a valuable reminder that Irish society still has its darker side.
During a lively question-and-answer session after the reading, Mr Doyle suggested that if Seamus Deane wanted to win the Booker Prize, for which he is one of this yearns contenders, he should wear a hired dinner jacket and borrow his father's cuff-links.
His own luck in awards had tumbled ever since he bought an evening suit of his own, he said.
In a discussion yesterday morning, Anthony Cronin reflected on the remarkable change that had taken place in the status of the writer in Ireland.
He modestly neglected to mention the crucial role he has played in effecting this change. Cronin was a prime mover behind the creation of Aosdana and the introduction of tax-free status for writers.
The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, took a break from promoting his memoirs at Frankfurt to visit the Irish pavilion yesterday.
His book, Bore the Dawn, has already sold out its first print-run in English and is now available in German, too. Mr Adams commended the director of Ireland and its Diaspora, Mr Lar Cassidy, and his team for what he termed "a brilliant job" before rushing off to yet another book signing.
