Edel Coffey

Edel Coffey

Contributor

Edel Coffey, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a journalist and broadcaster. Her first novel, Breaking Point, is published by Sphere.

Earth by John Boyne: the footballer’s story

Second of four interconnected novels explores a more subtle side of abuse

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio: a world of endless possible husbands

The author’s wit and humour keep the reader engaged as curiosity outweighs any irritations with the concept

I was first to read The Handmaid’s Tale, that’s my claim to fame: Valerie Martin on friendship with Margaret Atwood

American novelist’s latest book, Mrs Gulliver, reimagines Juliet as a cunning blind brothel worker

Edel Coffey on My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes: Rich, and multilayered storytelling

Author’s humanity as much as her humour keeps readers coming back

Catherine Doyle: ‘Death and loss do exist in the world of children, so I never try to shy away from them’

The latest novel by the children’s author draws from her own childhood, when her brother became seriously ill

Carys Davies: ‘Dispossession and the theft of land was very much on my mind’

Author’s latest novel Clear is set during the forced evictions of the Scottish Highlands

The Playdate by Clara Dillon: A gripping page-turner that asks some tough questions

What sets this novel apart from the slew of school-gate novels is its unforgettable protagonist, Sara

The Playdate by Clara Dillon: A gripping school-gates thriller with a chilling, compelling protagonist

The story is so tense at times as to be almost stressful

‘What’s it like to be a girl in a band?’ - The Liverbirds; Whatever Happened to Birdie Troy; The Future of Songwriting reviews

Edel Coffey on Britain's First Female Rock'n'Roll Band; a music novel by Rachael English; and nonfiction by Kristin Hersh

Green Dot by Madeleine Gray: Promising debut novel about the adrift twentysomething life

Despite the arch and exuberant writing style, there is a bleak undercurrent to the book

Breakdown: A modern cautionary tale about the costs of limiting our options to suffocating roleplay

Through her precise observations, Sweeney builds a case against everything – modern life, marriage, technology, capitalism, self-delusion, the whole lot

Novelist Hisham Matar: ‘I’m fascinated by my friendship to my male friends. It just seems like such an important thing’

The novelist has been shaped by the Libyan embassy siege in London in 1984, and the kidnapping of his father

The best-selling Irish author you may not have heard of says social anxiety prompted her to write

Galway woman Evie Woods found comfort in books, and her fourth novel The Lost Bookshop brings a similar comfort to her growing readership

Chloe Michelle Howarth: As a young teenager I didn’t know I was queer and had that ‘why am I one degree away from everyone else?’ feeling

The west Cork-born author on her shortlisted debut novel, Sunburn, her fascination with Irishness and making a new life in Brighton

Water by John Boyne: The first in a planned quartet of novels is a propulsive story about shame

A middle-aged Dublin woman flees to an island off the west coast in a story about sexuality, masculinity, and domestic and sexual abuse