The Irish Itinerary Podcast
The Irish Itinerary Podcast is an audio podcast brought to you by EFACIS, the European Federation of Associations and Centres of Irish Studies. As an innovative addition to our longstanding Irish Itinerary circuit which organises live events all across Europe, this series will bring together some of the best contemporary Irish authors and artists in conversation with leading Irish Studies scholars from across Europe. This exciting new project is designed in the spirit of open access and inclusivity, and made possible by the generous support of Culture Ireland, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Irish College, Leuven.
The Irish Itinerary Podcast
46. Sheila Armstrong in conversation with Hedwig Schwall (14 December 2023)
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In her conversation with Hedwig Schwall, Sheila Armstrong discusses and reads from her first novel Falling Animals (2023). Sheila talks about the neoliberalism at the core of her novel; about how we went from small scale, traditional industries to much bigger, largely hidden industries we have little understanding of; about how she uses small, but striking details from real life to create whole worlds; about the importance of forgiveness and how guilt and shame are central to her novel; about fiction being an attempt to bridge the gap between people and try and understand how others feel; about the potential of liminal spaces and leaving threads we do not get answers for; and about how finding the right sentence feels like a door is gently closing.