In the midst of a dull weekday in Dublin characterised by unsettled April weather, Rónán Hession appears as a soothing encounter in the fresh, well-lit ambiance of the Solomon gallery tucked in Balfe Street. This meeting is arranged in association with the unveiling of his latest novel, Ghost Mountain, whose cover is graced with a striking artwork by the renowned Irish painter, Tom Climent, called Presence. This stands as a vivid depiction of a mountain that successfully harmonises with the impressionistic approach of his novel, particularly its key narrative of time’s progression.
Hession, at the age of 48, collaborated with independent publishing house, Bluemoose Books, in designing each cover of his three published novels. For Ghost Mountain, he specifically opted for Climent’s artwork as he desired a non-symbolic or non-representative image. He shares, “The narrative continuously asserts ‘Ghost Mountain is Ghost Mountain’. I desired an equivalent artistic interpretation. Climent’s mountain artworks resonated deeply within me, as if they were filling me. There was a mutual recognition”.
Hession’s painstaking involvement in various facets of publishing a book is reflective of his holistic self. Balancing manifold roles – a committed husband, dad, high-ranking civil servant, renowned musician, and author – he is seen as being attentive, informed, and meticulous; capable of articulately translating complex concepts, whether pertaining to his work or wider society.
Demonstrating unparalleled eloquence, Hession delivered commendable presentations at the Ennis Book Club Festival held in March this year, to an enraptured audience. He fondly recalls his tenure in corporate tax within the Civil Service which greatly honed his oratory skills. He further explains, “Public speaking requires ample pre-work. It’s essential to be clear about one’s delivery to achieve effective communication”.
According to Hession, successful public speaking necessitates two driving elements: a deep sense of self or the complete contrary – an ability to remain detached, focusing not on oneself but entirely on the task at hand. He asserts his belief in his written works, alluding to an undivided attention while delivering an engaging commentary.
Hession was raised in Artane, the northern part of Dublin as the penultimate child in a family of eight. He lost his father at the tender age of seven, leading his mother to serve as a cleaner at the erstwhile Jervis Street hospital to provide for their family. It is perhaps her hard-working nature that instilled a sense of diligence in Hession. Reflecting on his upbringing, Hession narrates how his mother’s routine entailed putting them to sleep, working nightshifts, returning home to wake them up and repeating the cycle, describing his childhood as generally happy and well-adjusted.
Hession pursued a degree in economics and politics at Dublin’s Trinity College. His professional journey began as a proofreader and a temporary mailman, before finding his footing in the Civil Service in 1997. At present, he holds the position of assistant secretary general in the Department of Social Protection. Hession’s debut novel, Leonard and Hungry Paul (2019), won critical acclaim, selling over 180,000 copies, and earning recognition as the selection for One Dublin One Book in 2021. However, despite this success, Hession’s passion for his profession remains steadfast and he has no intention of transitioning to full-time writing.
Dismissing the cliche image of a bored civil servant longing for office-hours to end so they can pursue their true passion, Hession shares his genuine appreciation for his career, which he intends to pursue until retirement. He finds his work, which primarily involves policy-making, fulfilling. This work requires a focus on society and its members, providing him with a similar perspective to his approach as a novelist, shifting perspective from individual characters to a broader narrative.
His latest novel, Ghost Mountain, marks a contrast to his previous works both in terms of the creative process and the thematic shift from optimistic fiction. Hession reveals that his first two novels were crafted from 10pm to midnight as his children slept, with a schedule of working six nights a week, taking breaks for one month after every three months, until each book was completed.
Rónán Hession mentions a significant shift in his usual routine whilst penning Ghost Mountain. He chose to limit himself to two or three scheduled writing periods per week, typically on weekend mornings. This approach would see him start and finish a single chapter within an hour’s time during these periods, with occasional extensions into an evening session and minor adjustments thereafter.
Amidst the pandemic, Hession started spending more time at home which involved plenty of screen reading for his job. This led him to the discovery of the Read Aloud tool in Microsoft Word, offering an experience akin to karaoke, highlighting each word as it reads them out. He particularly connected with the voice named Junior, whose character reminded him of an amiable, slightly delicate ten-year-old American boy, and consequently adopted Junior as the narrative voice for Ghost Mountain. Hession mentions this voice matching perfectly with the rhythm and style he adopted throughout the writing process.
Since Hession finds Junior’s robotic yet charming voice to be strangely appealing, he intends to share a recorded version at literary gatherings for the listeners to experience Junior’s voice.
His writing’s first critic is always his wife, Sinéad, who he met whilst working in the Civil Service – a relationship that humorously blossomed over tea breaks. Hession would read each chapter of Ghost Mountain to her, a book that took over a year to write. Despite being disconnected from the writing realm, Sinéad’s keen perception and accurate intuitions about what works and what doesn’t have always been an invaluable asset for him.
Hession, a father of two teenage boys – Thomas and Jacob, generally has his youngest son Jacob joining him when he goes to festivals. They enact a ritual that entails putting together a playlist for the journey, engaging in car-bound rap battles, having dinner together, meeting intriguing individuals and usually appending this with activities like a walk or a basketball game. Jacob once expressed his admiration for their in-car exchanges likening them to a podcast session – a compliment that Hession cherishes deeply.
Hession’s expansive curiosity about arts, politics, and society, makes it conceivable that he could host a podcast. Pivotal themes in his latest book address the essence of life, how to live righteously and genuinely. Death is frequently alluded to, usually by way of an event that is underscored or occurring off the stage.
Hession spoke about his intent to exemplify death in his writing. He perceives grief as a dominant theme in modern literature but wished to illustrate death as an ordinary part of life, not an overly sentimentalised incident. To him, every demise, though significant, does not need to be presented as such.
Hession himself has experienced numerous personal losses including his parents, friends, and family. However, he emphasizes that grief is unique to each person and each loss, and he wanted to eschew idealising the concept of death.
In his work, Hession seeks to showcase death as an ongoing, natural and inevitable cycle of life, akin to the changing of seasons, or the death and rebirth of foliage, rather than as traumatic events.
This could paint a gloomy and sombre picture of his book, “Ghost Mountain”. Yet, fans of Hession would be pleased to know, that the book contains plenty of humorous instances as well. His narratives and social media presence display his good-natured humour and he aligns himself with harmless dad jokes. For Hession writing primarily brings him joy and he revels in the opportuntiy it affords him to induce laughter in others.
Songs in music can often be depressingly melancholic, revolving around themes of despair and desolation, though this doesn’t reflect the reality of people who lead challenging lives yet maintain their sense of humour, asserts the individual. Scribbling with humour can be perilous for authors as it may compromise their credibility, however, the inclusion of it is essential.
Tom Climent’s individual display will be showcased at the Solomon Gallery, from the 2nd until the 25th of May. Ghost Mountain, meanwhile, will be available to readers via Bluemoose Books from May 23rd.