NEW IRISH LITERATURE
AUTUMN MUST-READS
With the arrival of the longer nights, now is the perfect time to curl up with a good book. Here we look at some of the latest releases which are sure to make it onto your autumn must-read list.
THE UPSIDE OF DOWN
TALES WE TELL OURSELVES
Two weeks after the launch of her first novel, Tara West confessed to her husband that she wanted to kill herself. And yet she was living a life most people only dream of - a wellpaid job in advertising, a published novel, a loving husband, great hair…
In a villa high above Florence a group of seven women and three men are cocooning, seeking shelter from the epidemic, scared by reports of death coming nearer to their own doorstep by the day. Sound familiar? It should, as it describes Boccaccio’s fourteenth-century masterpiece the Decameron. At once bawdy, witty, tragic and ever-topical, this selection of stories demonstrates how great literature survives a fast-forward to the twenty-first century.
In this warm, inspiring and unexpectedly funny memoir, Tara invites readers to join her on her hard-fought journey into and out of depression. Providing fresh and very personal perspectives on the illness, her memoir explores how her vicious inner critic was formed, and how it drove her to succeed on the one hand, and consider suicide on the other. In these dark and unprecedented times, an understanding of mental illness is so important. West’s The Upside of Down provides a poignant, honest and engaging insight which will help shatter the stigma surrounding depression. Told with authenticity, this compelling memoir takes you on a journey of ups and downs but ultimately is a story of hope and resilience. The Upside of Down by Tara West Published by Dalzell Press
Carlo Gébler, alongside New Island Publisher Edwin Higel, re-imagined twenty-eight of Boccaccio’s timeless tales for a contemporary readership whose experiences of the current pandemic mirror what Boccaccio’s characters endured. Whilst drawing out the essence of the tales in order to let their true genius and wit shine, Gébler’s central focus, as was Boccaccio’s before him; the fortifying and restorative powers of fiction in the face of tragedy. Tales We Tell Ourselves: A Selection from the Decameron Retold by Carl Gébler Published by New Island. Available from 15th November 2020
SHANNON COUNTRY
In August 1939 the Irish travel writer Richard Hayward set out on a road trip to explore the Shannon region just two weeks before the Second World War broke out. His evocative account of that trip, Where the River Shannon Flows, still sought after now by lovers of the river, became a bestseller. Eighty years on, inspired by his work, Paul Clements – author of Romancing Ireland, the biography of Richard Hayward – retraces Hayward’s journey along the river, following – if not strictly in his footsteps – then within the spirit of his trip. From the Shannon Pot in Cavan, 344 kilometres south to the Shannon estuary, his meandering odyssey takes him by car, on foot, and by bike and boat, discovering how the riverscape has changed but is still powerful in symbolism. While he recreates Hayward’s trip, Clements also paints a compelling portrait of twenty-first century Ireland, mingling travel and anecdote with an eye for the natural world. In a time when we are spending more time exploring the gems on our doortstep, Clements’ a tribute to the country of Ireland’s longest river provides the perfect read for those looking for some staycation inspiration. Shannon Country: A River Journey Through Time By Paul Clements Published by Lilliput Press 156