Joining Andy and John this week is novelist and host of the books podcast Sentimental Garbage, Caroline O'Donoghue (Promising Young Women, Scenes of a Graphic Nature, All Our Hidden Gifts). We are discussing Nuala O'Faolain's revelatory memoir Are You Somebody? (1996), the original publication of which caused a sensation in her native Ireland. The book went on to top the New York Times bestseller list for six weeks; it still has the power to astonish.

Also in this episode Andy has been exploring John Higgs's new book William Blake Vs The World and John is moved by Consumed: A Sister's Tale, the family memoir of Arifa Akbar, chief theatre critic for the Guardian and a former guest on Backlisted (episode 59 on Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel)

Books mentioned:

Nuala O’Faolain - Are You Somebody?
Caroline O’Donoghue - Promising Young Women; Scenes of a Graphic Nature; All Our Hidden Gifts
John Higgs - William Blake Versus The World
Arifa Akbar - Consumed: A Sister’s Story
Dermot Healy - The Bend for Home
Seamus Deane (ed) - The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing
Marian Keyes - Watermelon
Maeve Binchy - Circle of Friends

Other links:

"Do you believe in the Devil?" Irish TV, 1979
Bookshop event with Frank McCourt in the US, 1996/7
Interview with Terence Winch, US TV 2002
Final interview with Marian Finucane, 2008