'Dear Roddy Doyle, I hope you are alive'

"I got this letter, maybe three years ago, from a kid in England and it was the best letter I've ever got in my life. It started out, 'Dear Roddy Doyle, I hope you are alive'. And it didn't go downhill," says Roddy Doyle about why he started writing children's books again.

“He asked would I write another Rover book. I was reading the letter with my wife and the two of us were in stitches and I said, well I have to now, don’t I?” he told Róisín Ingle, presenter of the Róisín Meets podcast.

The author’s two sons and daughter had inspired his previous children’s books and he said he used them as editors during bedtime stories.

“When they were listening it was working, when they were laughing it was definitely working and when they were thumping each other it wasn’t.”

His own family is grownup now and Doyle didn’t think he would write another children’s book until he got that letter. The result is, Rover and the Big Fat Baby, another installment in the Giggler series of books.

A teacher for 15 years, Doyle puts that experience to use at Fighting Words, the free creative writing workshops which he co-founded. They are aimed at children of all ages, people with special needs and young offenders. Fighting Words runs thanks to 450 volunteers across Dublin, Wicklow, Belfast and Ballina, but Doyle takes a hands-on approach getting involved in the tutoring himself.

“I just walk around and have a gawk at what they’re doing, chat to them about it. There are no lessons as such and I find it really inspiring. It reminds me, I suppose, why I do it,” he said.

He is back writing adult books too and there is one due to be published in September, but he is remaining tight-lipped on it for now.

One of his more recent jobs was writing Roy Keane’s memoir along with the footballer, an experience he described as, “hugely satisfying.”

Keane was, he says, a pleasure to deal with it.

“He was just fantastic to work with. Really regardless of work, he is just a terrific human being, good company, very nice, very affable, very witty and quick.”

Doyle said he has never asked why Keane wanted him for the job, but he does know he is a fan of The Commitments.

To listen to Roddy talk about The Commitments, writing children’s books, Roy Keane, and more, go to Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher or irishtimes.com.

Rover and the Big Fat Baby, published by Macmillan Children’s Books, is out now