Laois author was guest of honour for Ireland Reads Day in Mountrath
Bestselling author Niamh Boyce pictured at her Ireland Reads Day event in Mountrath Library
MEMBERS of Mountrath Library recently welcomed award-winning international best-selling writer Niamh Boyce as their author guest for Ireland Reads Day.
The event is a nationwide reading day, where authors visit libraries all over the country for informal chats with library members. They talk about their books, writing styles and offer advice and tips on writing through question and answer sessions.
Originally from Athy, Niamh lives in Ballylinan and she writes poetry, short stories and novels. Among her many achievements, she was awarded The Hennessy Award for New Irish Writer of The Year in 2012.
At the event in Mountrath, Niamh told the gathering that she began her writing career by taking a writing course with well-known author and playwright John MacKenna.
She said: “I began writing short stories in 2008, which featured a man that I had heard about who was glamorous, exotic, had a gold tooth, wore bright-coloured clothes and a Panama hat. He would pass through my hometown of Athy in the 1930s, having apparently appeared out of nowhere. He would set up his stall selling his herbs.” He was somewhat of a hit with the ladies and Niamh said that she had heard whispers about him over the years from female peers and from several people who knew him.
She said: “I wanted to find out about this character and began asking people about him. I found myself writing one story after another featuring this man until I realised that I was actually writing a novel.” This became Niamh’s bestselling debut, .
Niamh then published a book of her poetry titled , before going on to release her second bestselling novel , which is based on the Kilkenny witchcraft trial of 1324.
The talented author captivated the audience in Mountrath Library with details of her vast research into realising the story.
Niamh said she joint-edited a project with author Shauna Gilligan last year, which resulted in the publication of an anthology titled . This saw submissions from all over the world and features poems, stories and artworks based on St Brigid.
Niamh is currently working on a new book titled , which will be released later this year. It is set in a spiritualist’s house in Edinburgh in 1847 and features a bog body.
Niamh, who previously worked as a librarian in Ballylinan and Stradbally libraries, said that she was always a reader before becoming a writer and that she loves to explore other worlds and stories.
She said: “Writing for a half-hour every morning before opening mobile phones is great, because your attention isn’t drawn to the news of the day. When I was young, we would get our news once a day in the evening. Then we started getting news on the hour on television and now it’s constantly in our hands through our phones. It’s best to write for a while before looking at the phone. Writing small amounts daily is better than writing for several hours once a week.” More about Niamh Boyce can be found on her social media pages.
