Renowned Irish author Claire Keegan isn’t a frequent feature in literary festival line-ups, which could explain why her Saturday evening presentation at the Dalkey Book Festival was fully booked.
Rick O’Shea, a radio presenter, started off the discussion by hinting that Keegan was no newbie to impromptu locations such as the Cuala GAA hall, the venue of the event. Keegan responded with a flat expression, took a pause, and then admitted that she indeed was accustomed to community centres, then added, slightly looking down, “but this would surely be one for the books…we’ll find out,” causing laughter amongst the crowd.
From then onwards, Keegan’s sharp humour and eloquence captivated the audience while sharing her work insights and writing procedure. Having 30 years experience teaching creative writing allowed her to dominate the room, using her charisma to keep the audience engaged. The also demonstrated a rare quality, complete comfort with oneself.
“I tend to avoid the literary circle,” she admitted,” but I’ve received bountiful support since people appreciate my writings.” When asked about her single novel, Small Things Like These, being up for the 2022 Booker Prize, and whether she was “thrilled or daunted” with the hype, Keegan explained that her mother’s passing in August that year eclipsed the excitement.
On potential future nominations, she added: “I wouldn’t shed a tear if the Booker Prize didn’t consider me again. My books afford me a decent life – they cater for my equine interests,” she confessed, triggering an eruption of amusement from the crowd.
“To me, the awards aren’t the dream. I’m not into competitions. I’m naturally independent. [ Cillian Murphy: ‘Magdalene laundries symbolise a shared painful memory for people of a particular generation’. ] [ Claire Keegan: ‘My family and I are not close. There is no tight-knit feeling amongst us’. ]”
In her candid revelation, the author remarked, “Jealousy has never plagued me in my life”. However, she was quick to admit that she sometimes succumbs to an occasional bout of envy, voiced through her analogy using a luxuriant cottage garden. She portrayed envy as a motivator to emulate the object of one’s admiration, akin to purchasing the same plants found in the garden one admires. On the contrary, she painted jealousy as a destructive sentiment, one that wishes destruction upon the envied object.
She expressed her contentment at the presence of phenomenal literature in the world. She described the lead character in her isolated hardback release of this year, ‘So Late in the Day’, as amusing, albeit her humour being uncommon. She also confessed that she might perceive her own work as funnier than most people do.
Keegan shared that her work gains life not through the audience’s laughter during her animated reading of the conversations between the lead character and his lover, but on the written pages. She asserted that printing a meaningful page is what truly emboldens her thesis on the significance of existence.
Discussing the movie adaptation of her book ‘Small Things Like These’ by Enda Walsh, featuring award-winning actor Cillian Murphy, Keegan expressed no discomfort in delegating the adaption rights to Walsh. She has no expectations regarding the film’s reception, reiterating the permanence of the essence of her book irrespective of the film’s transformation.
On the topic of celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Natalie Portman and Stephen King endorsing her literature, Keegan reacted nonchalantly, stating, “I find it all rather delightful”. Responding to King’s anticipation for a sequel to ‘Small Things Like These’ on platform X, she remarked, “The audience should always be left yearning for more”.