The Franco-Irish Literary Festival is a significant date on the Dublin literary calendar bringing together award-winning authors from multiple countries. This year’s festival focuses on the concept of pleasure—we know what you’re thinking and no, not that kind. Award-winning short story author Claire Keegan is among the Irish writers speaking at the festival. Her speech, much like her writing, is direct and carefully crafted, making her anything but an open book.
Where do you do most of your writing?
I write at home.
I know that you write short stories. Why did you decide to write short stories instead of full-length novels?
Well, I write full short stories. They aren’t incomplete just because they are short. I’m drawn to the form itself and the limitations of the art form and the challenge of it. So I think because I admire the form so much that I’m probably drawn to writing them myself.
Do you have any favorite short story authors?
Yes, I love (Anton) Chekhov.
Your new book, Foster, is a short story but has come out as a standalone book. Was there a specific reason for choosing that story?
I think yes, there probably was. It won the Davy Byrnes award, which was then the largest monetary prize for a single short story in the world—worth €25,000. And it was judged by Richard Ford, the Pulitzer Prize winning American author. And then it was published in the New Yorker and it was also chosen for best American stories this last year from the New Yorker.
Congratulations!
Thank you.
You usually write about rural Ireland and I read that you grew up on the Irish countryside yourself. Would you say you write about what you know?
No, I write about what I try to understand.
What’s your favorite thing about participating in these types of festivals?
I suppose sometimes you learn about new work or somebody recommends a book or an author to you that you haven’t heard of.
What advice would you give to young creative writers who think they might want to pursue a career as a novelist or short story writer?
I think they should read and write slowly…and with care.
The Franco-Irish Literary Festival runs from the 20th til the 22nd of April in various venues. See www.francoirishliteraryfestival.com for a full programme.
