Interview

Booker-longlisted novelist Elaine Feeney on childhood, the music of language and the power of place

Unlike many creative people, the Athenry author of How to Build a Boat has never felt the urge to escape from her past

Author Elaine Feeney: her career path as a writer has been organic, unplanned and negotiated at ‘a snail’s pace’. Picture: Michael Dillon

“Can I not list three things I’m really bad at?” Elaine Feeney is experiencing a tsunami of doubt. Actually, it’s more serious than that. “I’m totally mortified, and I really don’t know. Three things I’m good at?”

She mulls things over for a few seconds, reaches for her teacup and takes a sip from it. She looks towards the ceiling, and then straight at me. Here we go.

“Giving objective advice to my friends. Challenging ...