Assignation by Mary Costello is the latest new story available from RTÉ Radio 1's Spoken Stories Independence collection of writing, commissioned from some of today's finest fiction writers - listen to it here and download the podcast here.
Assignation is meticulously read by Caitríona Ní Murchú.
The story unfolds over one day in Manhattan in 1938, culminating in a certain realization for Marian, a young Irish woman working for a wealthy American family. In writing this, Mary Costello has said how she 'thought about what independence means at a personal level - freedom, choice, personal autonomy - and how scarce that was in the early decades of our own independence, our young Free State in the grip of poverty, the Church, emigration. In the 1920s + 30s emigration was like a death. People would not be returning’.
The Spoken Stories series is a creative contribution to Ireland's Decade of Centenaries. Still to come in January Kevin Barry reads his story A Pirate, Dreaming on Sunday, 24 January and Shorn by Sue Rainsford is read by Saoirse Ronan on Sunday, 31 January.
Spoken Stories was originated by Clíodhna Ní Anluain, who also presents and produces the radio programme and podcast - listen back here and download the podcast here.
