The acclaimed novelist and poet from the west of Ireland on writing and reading.
Where do you get your ideas?
My ideas come from everywhere — the present and the past, from things people say and do, and things they’ve said and done long ago. I often find inspiration in a gallery, or a conversation overheard in a pub, or on a train. Some ideas come from personal places — from pain or unresolved sadness that I carry.
What is your writing process like?
I don’t have a strict process. But when I’m working on a book, I write every day, without fail, and I work very hard. I have a full-time job and a family, so time is precious. I often write in the margins of the day — early in the morning before the house wakes up, or in quiet snatches of time when I can find them. It’s not glamorous, but it’s consistent.
What did you do with your first advance?
I used it to pay some bills! It wasn’t a life-changing amount of money, but it felt like a reassuring vote of confidence in my writing.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have four novels that are either unpublished or half-finished. Most of them were experiments that didn’t quite work out — dead ends, or projects where I fell out of love with the characters. Sometimes I boxed myself in with the plot and couldn’t find a way out. Still, each one taught me something about writing.
What is the first book that made you cry?
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. I was quite young when I read it, and I remember being deeply affected by the way animals were treated — and how powerfully their stories could be told.
What is your favourite childhood book?
The Emperor’s New Clothes. I loved the cleverness of it, the way it shows how people can be fooled by appearances, and how truth comes from children.
What are you reading at the moment?
I’m reading Our Song by Anna Carey. I’m just a few pages from the end, and it’s been such a beautiful experience. The writing is great, and it gives me all the feels.
What book should be on everybody’s shelf?
The books they love — whatever they are. I don’t think there’s any one book everyone must read. We all connect to different stories for different reasons. So if a book makes you feel something or reminds you of who you are or were, or who you want to be, that’s the book that belongs on your shelf.
Which authors do you admire?
There are so many. I admire any author who sticks with it — who keeps writing despite rejections, setbacks, and criticism. I admire writers who speak truth to power, especially those who write in countries where doing so is dangerous. And I deeply respect those who write against the grain. Literature has always needed those voices.
What was the last book that made you laugh?
Erasure by Percival Everett. It’s sharp and funny and biting — a satire that manages to be both hilarious and deep. I found myself laughing out loud.
What books are you taking away on holidays with you?
I owe my youngest son some time because life has been hectic. We’re going to Japan together and I’m hoping not to bring too many books — just a couple of guidebooks and maybe sneak in a novel. I really want to read The Names by Florence Knapp, it looks great. But I’m mostly looking forward to chats with him.
Elaine Feeny’s Let Me Go Mad In My Own Way, is out now