The name of acclaimed Irish writer Claire Keegan is not one that appears often on literary festival programmes, so it’s no wonder her Saturday-night appearance at Dalkey Book Festival sold out. Keegan was interviewed on the night by broadcaster Rick O’Shea, who opened the conversation by implying she was no stranger to ad-hoc venues such as the Cuala GAA hall where the event was held. “Did I say that?” she said with a deadpan expression.
A few beats pass before she conceded that, yes, she would be used to community halls and such, “but I’m sure this will be memorable,” she said, before gazing to the ground and adding: “we’ll see”, prompting a laugh from the audience. READ MORE Claire Keegan in Dalkey: ‘I can’t say I’d cry if I was never nominated for the Booker again’ The best places to eat and drink on a weekend break in Kilkenny A large swathe of the country look at the 2 Johnnies and see themselves From that point on Keegan’s dry tone and wit had the bookish audience hooked, as she doled out beautifully worded nuggets of wisdom on her work and process. She commanded the room with the authority possessed only by the most engaging of teachers – she has taught creative writing for 30 years – and embodied the attractive and rare trait of being wholly comfortable in her own skin.
“I stay out of the whole literary scene,” she said, “but people have been really good to me because they like what I have written.” Asked whether the hype arou.
