When Books Ireland founding publisher, Jeremy Addis, announced publication was to cease in late 2013, the Wordwell team couldn’t bear to see this wonderful publication disappear and took over its production in early 2014. The ‘new’ Books Ireland is now available in both print and digital formats and is enjoying a new lease of life with a full-colour format, a layout revamp, a move to bi-monthly publication and a recently launched mobile app. It celebrated its 40th anniversary in March 2016.

Books Ireland is committted to the publication of responsible critique of literary output in Ireland and offers a unique insight into the latest trends and developments in the Irish book world. Each issue contains a series of reviews, from indepth two-page features to shorter synopsis of all recent titles in our First Flush listing. The Book Notes section provides the latest news on festivals, literary awards and our talented contributors leave no page unturned in their quest to review as many new Irish titles as possible within 60 pages.

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CONTENTS

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Books Ireland is available in both print and digital format. Click here to subscribe. 

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Opinion

Patricia O’Reilly considers the challenges and pitfalls facing anyone writing historical fiction.

Book notes

Tony Canavan with the latest from the world of books.

Features

Anthony J. Jordan marks Bloomsday by showing how much the attitudes of ‘official’ Ireland towards James Joyce have changed.

Tony Flynn puts the growing Irish graphic-novel scene in the frame.

Brendan MacEvilly from Words Ireland flags up the forthcoming Literature Producers Forum.

Book focus

The series editors explain the thinking behind the thought-provoking Síreacht series.

Competition winners

The winning stories from of the Irish Writers Centre’s Flash Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction competition by Geraldine McCarthy, Katie McGreal, Ian McMillan and Jasper Stone.

Behind the screen

Tony Canavan is bemused by Jacqueline, a film based on Catherine Cookson’s The Grand Man.

Bookshop focus

Carina McNally chats with the sisters who run the Bantry Bookshop.

Reviews

Hugh McFadden—Our Tangled Speech: essays on language and culture, by Aodán Mac Póilin.

Amanda Bell—Markievicz: prison letters & rebel writings, edited by Lindie Naughton.

Tony Canavan—Jumping the Border, by Séamas Ó Catháin.

Bookcase

Grace Safford—Ann Devine, Ready for her Close-Up, by Colm O’Regan.

Isolde Goggin—J.G. Farrell’s Empire Novels: the decline and fall of the human condition, by Rebecca Ziegler.

Aubrey Malone—Saint Patrick: an ancient saint for modern times, by Edmond Grace SJ.

Madeleine D’Arcy—The Fire Starters, by Jan Carson.

Lavinia Greacen—Brick and Flowers: an Anglo-Irish memoir, by Katherine Everett.

Isabelle Cartwright—The Great Wide Open, by Douglas Kennedy.

Tom Kennedy—New Light on George Boole, by Desmond McHale and Yvonne Cohen.

Anne Cunningham—The Burnout Solution, by Siobháin Murray.

Mary Davies—The Burren, by David Cabot and Roger Goodwillie.

Crime spree

Paula O’Hare rounds up the best suspects in the latest Irish crime fiction.

First-timers

Sue Leonard brings her selection of new début novelists.

In: Verse

Fred Johnston with his choice of recent poetry collections.

Leabhair idir lámha

Cathal Póirtéir tells us about the latest books as Gaeilge.

First flush

Tony Flynn and Grace Safford list all the new books sent into us.

My favourite

Madeline Moran explains why she loves the Rubâ’iyât of Omar Khayyam.