Tag Archives: novelist

AWARD-winning broadcaster and author, Rachael English, has appealed for “a ripple effect of kindness and creativity” in response to writing project that aims to support women and children affected by domestic violence. The Shannon native is backing a crowdfunding initiative to support the North West Clare Writers’ Circle to publish a new collection of poetry and prose from writers around the county. After the target for covering publishing costs is reached, profits will go to Clare Haven. “During the first wave of Covid-19, we were asked to stay at home,” said Rachael English. “Home is supposed to be a safe place, but for women and children living with domestic violence, home isn’t safe. Covid-19 has been difficult for us all, but for families living with the horrors of domestic abuse, it’s been harsher still. We know that the demand for refuge services for women and children increased dramatically during this year of Covid-19.” A spokesperson for the Writer’s Group said, …

CERTAIN unsolved crimes echo in Ireland’s consciousness over decades, with names like Philip Cairns, Raonaid Murray and Trevor Deely still recognisable long after their deaths or disappearances. What happens when a crime goes unsolved for far too long is the theme of Rachael English’s new novel, The Night of the Party, set in Clare during the heavy snow of 1982. In her fictional village of Kilmitten, parish priest Fr Galvin is killed, and the crime remains still unsolved a generation later. “Even though it starts with a crime, I wouldn’t really call it a crime novel. You could probably call it a mystery in the old-fashioned way. It’s not a modern thriller, with fingerprints and DNA and serial killers,” says the author and RTÉ presenter, who hails from Shannon. The story shows how being close to a terrible event, but not talking about it, can reverberate through a life, with one of the main characters carrying a dark secret from …