In recent years, Irish novelists, and particularly Irish women novelists, have published some of the most compelling English-language literary fiction.
Not just Sally Rooney, whose three novels to date have sold millions of copies worldwide, but a whole host of women have written books which, taken together, suggest a new contemporary Irish literature that focuses on the precarity of modern working life, as well as intimacy and its failings.
Naoise Dolan, 31, Megan Nolan, 33, and Nicole Flattery, 33, are three of the better-known members of this cohort. Dolan’s 2020 debut novel “Exciting Times” was the story of a love triangle set in Hong Kong; “Acts of Desperation,” from Nolan and published in 2021, charted the life of a young woman in an abject relationship; and Flattery also published her debut, “Show Them A Good Time,” a collection of deadpan and appealingly peculiar short stories, in 2020.
All three have also released a second book this year: Dolan’s is an acerbic comedy of errors about an impending wedding called “The Happy Couple,” Nolan’s “Ordinary Human Failings” follows an Irish family after one of its members is accused of a terrible crime, and “Nothing Special” is Flattery’s tale of a young woman who gets a job as a typist at Andy Warhol’s Factory.
In a recent video interview, the trio discussed what feels different the second time and how Irishness affects their work. This is an edited excerpt from a round-table discussion.
Why do you think the cliché of the difficult second novel exists?
NICOLE FLATTERY I think the publishing industry has an obsession with newness, and that’s the way things are marketed. I’m not sure if it is a “difficult second album” situation, rather than an unwillingness to let writers grow. If your first book is outrageously successful, I can understand there’s stress. I avoided that by writing a story collection.
NAOISE DOLAN People imagine that the pressure comes from the expectations of readers. I didn’t feel that at all, because I figure adults should prime themselves with the expectation that they won’t like every book that they read. And they would equally hate it if someone wrote the same book twice.
MEGAN NOLAN I was very pleased with how my book went, but it wasn’t like this crazy level of success that meant I was feeling like all eyes were on me. But I was really scared about how people would read it, and whether it was any good. I don’t think it will matter whether it’s the second or 10th book that I write, I will have absolutely no ability to judge my own work at all.
Where did the ideas for your second books come from?
FLATTERY I read Olivia Laing’s “The Lonely City” a few years ago, and there was a mention in that about Warhol’s Factory and “a, A Novel,” so I read it. I liked the idea of working on a book about producing a work of art that has nothing to do with you, almost.
NOLAN There is an anecdote in Gordon Burn’s book “Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son” about a tabloid journalist approaching the family of Peter Sutcliffe, the British serial killer known as the Yorkshire Ripper, and offering them a hotel as a kind of “safe space.” In reality it was intended as a sequestered space where they could keep these very vulnerable working class people and offer them a load of alcohol and pocket money, hoping that they would uncover some juicy stuff about the murders. And so I thought that was a very striking idea.
DOLAN I wrote two books before the book that is actually my second published book. And in the second book of those books there was a wedding, which became the second published book.
Did you do anything differently when you were writing this book, as opposed to the last time?
FLATTERY My life throughout the period of writing this novel was a lot more stable than it was in my 20s, when I was writing the stories, which just felt chaotic. The move for me was just being like: I have to do this every single day. It felt way more like a job to me than the stories did.
NOLAN The first one I was only doing late at night. This one, I worked proper days. I treated it a little bit more like work, because I could afford to.
DOLAN This time around I showed bits of it to my editor before it was properly finished. Generally I had this fear that because I am so easily influenced, that it would steer me in some way that I would later regret. But it was helpful.
How do you feel you’ve developed?
DOLAN When I was writing my first novel, the aim was just to write something that fulfilled the requirements of being a novel. Now, I feel a lot more confident that I’ve got the form down, and I can use it to express things within that container.
NOLAN I haven’t read it since it came out. By the time it did come out, I felt quite alienated from it. But that was an inevitable consequence of what I wanted the book to be, which was an exorcism. I think even as I was writing it, I was sort of nauseating myself with it.
FLATTERY My feeling when I reread the stories recently was a lot of sympathy for my younger self, like, “Oh, it’s not so bad.” I feel like with your first book, you’re very conscious that you have to be impressive. I’m not as interested in impressing anyone, which I think just comes with age.
Do you think being Irish is a key part of who you are as a writer? Or is it just a convenient way for the industry to categorize you?
NOLAN I didn’t feel like “Acts of Desperation” was an especially Irish book. But this new one is decisively Irish. The first time around, I did feel a bit frightened about being referred to in a group with already extremely brilliant and successful writers, like Naoise and Sally Rooney. I didn’t want to be put in that room because I will only suffer by comparison. But I don’t have much feeling about it anymore.
DOLAN In terms of the Irishness of my work, it’s probably not inherent, it’s more that I am fascinated by language. If you’re an Irish person who writes for international publications, you cannot but think constantly about Irish English.
FLATTERY My work has been noted as not very Irish. I don’t often describe place. I don’t have a hold on one county, like Colin Barrett writing about Mayo or Mike McCormack writing about Mayo, Sally Rooney writing about Mayo. Is anyone not writing about Mayo? But the next book will be more Irish. It’s never really bothered me being grouped as an Irish female writer. I feel quite proud. I always feel very proud when an Irish person does well in anything.
Other than reading and writing, what else contributes to your creative process?
NOLAN I’m an intensely social person. I find people so interesting and wonderful, and want to find out how they feel. Obviously, it’s true that you have to dedicate time and concentration to do any serious work. But my time spent with other people is not a distraction. It’s a part of the way that I write, and why I write.
FLATTERY Yes, I was gonna say hanging out, which I think is so integral to creativity. I’m not joking. Just going for a drink with your friends and talking, and listening to how people talk, is reflected in my writing, I think.
DOLAN My main thing besides writing is that I’m an avid language learner. I find it really helpful to have something that I have absolutely no talent at, but still pursue enthusiastically.
What are you currently working on?
FLATTERY I’m working on something about a couple. I’ve never written really about couples, my first attempt at romantic love. It’s set in a spa hotel.
DOLAN I’m working on a novel. It’s set between Berlin and Dublin, but I don’t really want to say anything else yet.
NOLAN I went to an event at MoMA last October where they were showing these old home movies an actor and artist made, and his son was presenting them. I started thinking about this idea of adults who have become the estate keepers of their artist parents. And also there’s a couple involved.
FLATTERY We’re all doing couples. Couples are huge.