Category Archives: On Writing

Another Alice: Interview with Shauna Gilligan

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Lia Mills

Thanks to Shauna Gilligan for this generous, thoughtful interview about the new Arlen House Classic Literature edition of Another Alice. There’s a Foreword by Paula McGrath and an Afterword by Lia. Cover image by Carmel Benson. This is #53 in … Continue reading →

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Old Notes on New Presentations

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Lia Mills

Today, going through old notes, I came across this advice to myself and thought it was worth sharing to anyone who’s getting ready to promote a book or speak on a panel or make any kind of presentation, really. I … Continue reading →

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Edith: A Novel (Interview with Martina Devlin)

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Lia Mills

1921. While Treaty negotiations are being conducted in London, Ireland is a restless, uncertain, dangerous place. Edith Somerville is in her family home, Drishane House in Castle Townshend. The Somervilles, an Ascendancy family, have been there for centuries but their … Continue reading →

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Interview with Catherine Dunne (3rd May 2022)

Posted on May 3, 2022 by Lia Mills

This interview marks the publication of a new edition of Catherine Dunne’s second novel, A Name for Himself (first published in 1998) as part of the Arlen Classic Literature series. The new edition features a Foreword by Mia Gallagher. Because … Continue reading →

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Read for Ukraine

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Lia Mills

At a recent “Dialogues on War” event organised by PEN International, in a conversation between Andreiy Kurkov and Philippe Sands, Kurkov was asked what people could do to support Ukrainian writers. “Read their books”, was his reply. Sands’ own brilliant … Continue reading →

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Wanting all the Words: Elif Shafak in conversation with Emma Graham-Harrison ( A Guardian Live Event)

Posted on August 9, 2020 by Lia Mills

6th August 2020 UPDATE 11/08/20:  Guardian Live have made the interview available here. (This is a long post but I didn’t want to lose any of what Elif Shafak said.  Make yourself a cup of tea & settle in.) EGH … Continue reading →

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Martina Devlin: On Writing Truth and Dare

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Lia Mills

(Martina Devlin talks about her latest book, a collection of short stories: Truth And Dare: Short Stories about Women Who Shaped Ireland) * LM: Why did you decide to write fiction about these real historical figures, rather than historical/biographical accounts? Martina … Continue reading →

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GUEST BLOG: Write the Book You Want to Read? by Nuala O’Connor

Posted on October 4, 2018 by Lia Mills

It’s a treat for me to host a guest blog by Nuala O’Connor – who has featured in earlier blogposts as Nuala Ní Chonchúir – to mark the publication of her new novel Becoming Belle, a historical novel set (mostly) in … Continue reading →

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Nicole Krauss in dlr LexIcon with Nadine O’Regan (28.08.2017)

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Lia Mills

Nicole Krauss was in Dun Laoghaire this week to promote her new novel, Forest Dark.  Nadine O’Regan (NOR) opened the conversation by remarking on how young Nicole Krauss (NK) was when she began to publish fiction and how quickly success came … Continue reading →

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Elizabeth Strout at ILFD 2017 (with Sinéad Gleeson)

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Lia Mills

No one could accuse Elizabeth Strout of being an overnight success.  Encouraged by her mother, she started writing as a child. That, she says, got her thinking about sentences. She started sending stories out when she was 16 but her … Continue reading →

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