The Irish writer chooses her favourite books. Her collection of essays, "Constellations", was shortlisted for the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and her debut novel, "Hagstone", is out now in paperback.
The Cost of Living
Valentino
Natalia Ginzburg, 2023
This Italian writer, who died in 1991, wrote essays about family, life and craft, but her novellas are so compelling and deft. This short work is about the spoiled only son of an Italian family, and the impact his questionable choices have on everyone around him.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Visitor
Maeve Brennan, 2005
Though long-forgotten in Irish literary history, there has been a resurgence of interest in Brennan's work in recent years. This novella (unpublished when she was alive) is brilliant on contemporary issues of housing, and what it means to be able to afford a home.
Things In Nature Merely Grow
Yiyun Li, published next month
Grief is a difficult subject to write about, but this devastating account of the suicides of Li's two sons is clear-eyed and unsentimental. It's a manifesto of living, not dying, and of how we endure the most unimaginable things.
Lolly Willowes
Sylvia Townsend Warner, 1926
This novel turns 100 next year, and remains a feminist classic. The titular character is a bored spinster who moves to the country, fraternises with the Devil – and realises she's a witch. Funny, erotic and timeless.
Dubliners
James Joyce, 1914
Some people fear reading Joyce because of "Ulysse"s (don't), but start with his brilliant Dublin stories. The final story, "The Dead", about a man who realises he is not his wife's first love, is my favourite short story of all time.
-
September 28 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the Jim Comey indictment and Pam Bondi as a the Wicked Witch of the West
-
Your Party: a Pythonesque shamblesTalking Point Comical disagreements within Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's group highlight their precarious position
-
The Liberal Democrats: on the march?Talking Point After winning their highest number of seats in 2024, can the Lib Dems marry ‘stunts’ with a ‘more focused electoral strategy’?
-
6 rustic homes on ranchesFeature Featuring copper kitchen counters in Colorado and a 380-acre property in California
-
Steve: a ‘gripping’ drama starring Cillian MurphyThe Week Recommends Murphy plays the frazzled headmaster of a boarding school for ‘delinquent’ boys in this bold Indie film
-
The Lady from the Sea: a ‘thrillingly contemporary’ Ibsen adaptationThe Week Recommends ‘Luminous’ cast dazzle in Simon Stone’s ‘hugely enjoyable’ production
-
Black Rabbit: slick crime thriller set in a high-end New York restaurantThe Week Recommends Two Manhattan brothers resort to ‘ever-more high-stakes’ schemes to tackle ‘huge’ gambling debts in the ‘glossy’ series
-
One Battle After Another: a ‘terrifically entertaining’ watchThe Week Recommends Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest release is a ‘high-octane action thriller’ and a ‘surefire Oscar frontrunner’
-
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny: a novel of ‘undeniable power’The Week Recommends Kiran Desai’s first novel in nearly 20 years is an ‘enthralling love story’ set across India and the US
-
Color Theories: Julio Torres’ one-man showPerformance Space New York Performance Space New York
-
The 2025 Emmys: A big night for newcomersFeature The 77th Emmys were full of surprises, from shocking wins and moving speeches to a host’s charity stunt that backfired
