I love Augusta Gregory’s translations of Irish mythology. Books like Cuchulain of Muirthemne were supposed to contribute some inspiring raw material to the Irish cultural revival, but Gregory’s translations weren’t perfunctory; they were vibrant, gory fun. She authored plenty of plays, but I love her behind-the-scenes role in Irish theatre. She accompanied the Abbey Theatre on their American tour of Playboy of the Western World in 1911. The play was denounced by the usual cranks and there were riots, but Lady Gregory led a campaign of forbearance and brass neck – standing up to the critics and controlling the media narrative. She invited Theodore Roosevelt to see the show, and the audience followed his cue laughing at every line. For the rest of the week they played to capacity audiences. I once heard that when someone threw a potato during one disruption, she kept it and held on to it like a battle token during a backstage interview. I really hope that’s true.

"Every trick is an old one, but with a change of players, a change of dress, it comes out as new as before."
The Dragon 1919.

Other favourites: Edna O'Brien and Maria Edgeworth

Lisa Coen is co-publisher of Tramp Press