Fans of Maeve Binchy’s fiction and short stories will be thrilled when this book is released in March 2010. Reading The Maeve Binchy Writers’ Club is like sitting down with the author and friends in her Irish kitchen.
Binchy reveals much about her years as a writer of what is now over a dozen novels and several collections of short stories. In this very personal book she shares her wisdom to help writers with the very act of being better writers. In the form of conversational letters, she shows us how she got started, how she handles revisions, and displays her admirable commitment to the process of writing.
Along the way, she’s invited successful friends to share insights on some of the issues that puzzle all writers. The guest essayists are themselves writers, publishers and editors. You’ll learn about the role of agents and editors and delve into various writing specialties with pieces by distinguished contributors including: Marian Keyes, Norah Casey, Paula Campbell, Ivy Bannister and more. The entire book is the result of a National College of Ireland project, and the book’s Appendix is a workshop in itself, bursting with inspiring reference material.
With her straightforward conversational style, we enjoy reading Binchy’s letter to us in which she wonders if the Irish have an advantage over the rest of the writing community, and whether maybe the Irish have a bigger word pool. Binchy feels it is an advantage to come from a culture that once spoke a language with no words for “yes” and “no.” Think how much people had to say to get around the absence of those two little words.
I’d agree there’s a tremendous advantage given to Irish writers. As she says, we missed the Victorian England era where people did not talk until they had something to say. Not a problem for the Irish. We have the gift of gab, which flows freely from the pen.
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