The Irish Times

The Irish women behind Engels and the birth of communism

Gavin McCrea’s research into the elusive, illiterate Lizzie Burns is now a historical novel

Wed Feb 03 2016 - 10:00

Mrs Engels author Gavin McCrea on the Irish sisters who inspired Engels and Marx

To the lives of Mary and Lizzie Burns, we have no guide. These two illiterate Irishwomen, by their actions and associations, wrote themselves into history. Despite, or perhaps because of their lack of historical weight, I adored them instantly and decided to write a novel about them

Wed May 27 2015 - 10:41