A compelling, heartbreaking and ultimately life-affirming story of recovery and unexpected hope from new author Claire Gleeson. Show Me Where It Hurts is unputdownable.
Hi Claire, congratulations on your debut! What does it feel like to have your words finally out there?
Still slightly surreal! Books have been such a big part of my life, for as long as I can remember. It’s a wonderful feeling to have something I wrote become part of that world.
The subject matter of your book is shocking yet it’s delicately handled, why this story though?
I’m fascinated by the idea of how people cope with things that seem unsurvivable, and how it might feel to have to re-evaluate everything you thought you knew about your partner. I don’t think any subject matter should be off-limits for fiction – but you have to approach it with sensitivity, and not in a way that sensationalises it. I hope I’ve got that balance right.
As a busy GP and mum, when did you find time to write?
Show Me Where It Hurts was largely written in snatched moments – late evenings, Sunday mornings, in the car while waiting to collect my children from school. I’m very lucky to be able to work part-time as a GP, and still have a couple of mornings free to write – it’s a lovely, if very busy, balance.
When writing, what do you need?
Just my laptop, and relative silence – or, at least, nobody talking to me! I often write in coffee shops or in my local library.
Where do you like to read?
Oh gosh – everywhere! On the couch, in bed, while my kids are doing activities. I always have an audiobook on the go in the car, or when I’m doing housework.
What are you reading at the moment?
Tom Crewe’s The New Life, which is a wonderfully evocative story of social politics and gay life in 19th century London. It’s his debut, but reads like the work of a very experienced and confident writer.
What is the first book you remember loving?
There’s an incredibly charming children’s book by Astrid Lindgren called The Six Bullerby Children, about three families living in a tiny hamlet in rural Sweden. I read it over and over as a child – I can still remember some of their adventures vividly.
Tell us about a recent read that moved you?
Alice Winn’s In Memoriam was my standout book of last year, about the horrors and the utter futility of the trenches in the First World War. It’s a real tour de force.
A book you couldn’t put down?
I picked up Tracy Sierra’s Night Watching recently and stayed up way past my bedtime reading it – it’s the sort of book you need to clear a whole day for. Incredibly tense and pacy, and very satisfying.
A book that should be on every book shelf?
I remember being completely blown away when I first read Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day – I immediately wanted to find somebody else who had read it so I could talk about it. If you want an education in what a novel – and a short novel at that – can do, it’s a great place to start.
Which authors do you admire?
So many – Kate Atkinson is a favourite, as are Sarah Moss, Maggie O’Farrell, Curtis Sittenfeld, Meg Mason. We’re spoiled with so many Irish writers doing brilliant work at the moment – Anne Enright and Sally Rooney are particular favourites. I read a lot of crime fiction as well – I still don’t think anybody can beat Agatha Christie for plot, but Jane Harper, Elly Griffiths, Jane Casey and Belinda Bauer are some of my other must-read crime writers. Honestly, I could take up the rest of the page listing the authors I love!
On Audible, what book has transported you?
I listened to Sarah Winman’s Still Life recently and found it did exactly that – transported me to post-war Italy, in all its sights and smells and music.
What next?
I’m currently playing around with two ideas for my next novel. Both are in their very early stages at the moment – at some point I’m going to have to decide which one to take forward first…
Show Me Where It Hurts by Claire Gleeson is published by Sceptre in Trade Paperback, €15.99
