Last Thursday I was interviewed by an enthusiastic Jenni Murray (above) on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour about The Rising of Bella Casey. “We loved this novel,” she said more than once. One of the things she picked up on was the subliminal references to O’Casey’s plays in the novel. You don’t have to know O’Casey’s work to enjoy this novel – but it does add another layer to the narrative for the alert reader. Using the plays as a subtext also supports the speculative thread of the novel i.e. how much Bella’s life might have leaked into O’Casey’s drama. After all, every family has its shared lore. When there’s a writer in the family that can get mined as material. We also talked about the ethics of writing about real people – even if they’re dead – and the “ghastliness” – Jenni Murray’s description – of the Reverend Leeper, the only wholly fictional character in the book. Here’s the link to the podcast: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb/episodes/player
mary morrissy 
What an articulate, intelligent interview – and humour thrown in! I’ll stop now or risk being dismissed as a groupie. Seriously – you were great.
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Thanks, Laura. Dismissed? You can be my first official groupie if you like.
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I heard it also, therefore I probably can claim number two groupie please. Excellent and human and full of fascinating detail. I’ve been trying to find a way to contact you re historical fiction. Maybe I’ll find one soon. Thank you for the interview, great listening .
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A groupie queue! Thank you for your kind comments, Rosina,.
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Interesting to hear how particular facts piqued your interest and give you an opening into a narrative. Great to see the book doing well
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Yes, it’s often just some small detail that will turn the key to a narrative – the igniting flame, in other words.
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