Like many others, I have been waiting with bated breath for the publication of Irish literary sensation Sally Rooney’s fourth novel, Intermezzo, in September. Rooney is at once a distinctive voice in contemporary literary fiction and the generational product of a particular moment in Irish history. As such, and in preparation for Intermezzo, I have been avidly revisiting the work of some of her peers.
The Irish literary scene is thriving, which makes choosing just five other Irish writers likely to appeal to fans of Rooney a daunting task. Some – like the matriarch of contemporary Irish fiction, Anne Enright, or the singular Claire Keegan – are choices so obvious as to have escaped mention.
Many others I haven’t mentioned, such as Rebecca Ivory, Maggie Armstrong, Niamh Mulvey, Caitríona Lally and Claire-Louise Bennett, have recently published work which has assuaged any doubts as to the future health of Irish fiction.
