Tell us about your debut novel, Nesting
Nesting is set in Dublin in 2018 and tells the story of one woman’s attempt to break away from a controlling partner, find a home and build a better life for herself and her children.
You include a real-life cafe in Skerries called Storm in a Teacup. How important is it to seed fiction with factual details?
Factual details make the story feel more authentic, and allow meaning to occur in a nuanced way, on the level of suggestion. Storm in a Teacup. Perfect.
Nesting grew out of a short story for radio read by Siobhán McSweeney. Did the core shift? How would you compare or contrast the two forms?
The core of the story was there from the very beginning: Ciara’s love for her children, her reckless hope and her determination to forge a better life for them. The form changed a good deal, as the novel begins earlier in time. I made what felt like quite a radical decision not to use trauma as a plot device by withholding information, but to bring the reader into Ciara’s home so we experience her reality. I hope this brings us closer to Ciara, and her hard-won moments of joy and freedom feel more palpable.
[ Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell: A confident and compelling debut novel about coercive control ]
Are women leaving relationships having a fictional moment, with novels such as Cathy Sweeney’s Breakdown and Miranda July’s All Fours?
Writing Nesting, I became hyper-aware of the manipulative language used by abusive partners. I wanted to cut through that, to write a story that rang completely true. I was not aware of many other books like this (the examples here are completely different from each other and from Nesting). If anything, I felt there is still a lot of stigma around this type of story. I was writing into that silence.
His leer was so filthy it would have you reaching for hand sanitiser. A man over 40. A man who knew so, so much better
Irishman in Singapore: I wondered if I was foolish to emigrate in my 50s. But I feel more alive than ever
‘My sister’s boyfriend never left us alone at Christmas. Should I confront her?’
Your collection Wild Quiet was praised for breaking the bounds of the short story. Were you keen to try to do the same for the novel?
One journalist said this about one short story in my collection. It wasn’t something I was deliberately trying to do (that would be disastrous). With Nesting I just tried to stay as close to Ciara as possible, to allow her to lead the story. The pacing, the tension comes from her; from the reality of the situation she is in. I just had to listen, not to betray her character by imposing my own agenda.
It presented a modern, multicultural Ireland. Was that something you wanted to explore again in Nesting?
I hope we are at the point where “multicultural Ireland” is not a discrete topic but just a necessary part of any authentic depiction of contemporary Ireland.
You live in Dublin but were raised in Sheffield by parents from Derry. You’ve written for The Irish Times before about questions of identity. How does this feed your writing?
Home has always been both a physical place and an emotion, a state of longing. I’ll always be interested in characters who have a complex relationship with home.
[ Roisín O'Donnell: My mental knuckle-fight with IrishnessOpens in new window ]
How vital was the Irish Writers’ Centre in your development?
An evening course with Dave Lordan at the centre kick-started everything. Now I am taking part in the Evolution Programme, where I have met fantastic people.
Which projects are you working on?
I’m writing a new novel.
Have you ever made a literary pilgrimage?
Not that I recall. But I remember reading George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia while living in Barcelona.
What is the best writing advice you have heard?
“Editing is a chance for the writer’s intuition to take over”: George Saunders.
Who do you admire the most?
My mum. For her kindness and her bravery.
You are supreme ruler for a day. Which law do you pass or abolish?
I’d introduce stricter laws around the regulation of social media platforms, to combat the spread of misogynistic content. I’d roll out a social education programme focusing on relationships, respect and consent.
Which current book, film and podcast would you recommend?
The Laura Dowling Experience is a great podcast which tackles difficult subject matter with warmth and heart.
Which public event affected you most?
Some of the Irish centenary events were very moving, and gave us all pause to think about the meaning of our independence.
The most remarkable place you have visited?
I visit the Causeway Coast every summer and it has never stopped being remarkably beautiful.
Your most treasured possession?
Whatever notebook I’m currently writing in. I handwrite quite a lot, but then the fear of losing the notebook is real.
What is the most beautiful book that you own?
A collection of Irish fairy tales my dad bought for me on the day I was born.
Which writers, living or dead, would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Toni Morrison, Edna O’Brien, Lucia Berlin.
The best and worst things about where you live?
It’s great having family nearby. I wish we were closer to the sea.
What is your favourite quotation?
“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time”: Maya Angelou.
Who is your favourite fictional character?
Damon from Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.
A book to make me laugh?
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo (but it will make you cry too).
A book that might move me to tears?
Foster by Claire Keegan.
Nesting is published by Scribner
