The best Irish books of 2022 so far

We have always been a literary nation, but it's safe to say that Ireland’s creative heritage is in safe hands with the current crop of writers dominating the scene.

If you’re looking to sample a flavour of our finest talent in 2022, here are 15 of the best Irish books published this year so far…

Breaking Point by Edel Coffey

There’s no doubt that the subject matter of Edel Coffey’s debut novel is tough going, particularly if you’re a parent - but in the former journalist’s capable hands, it’s handled with poise and empathy. Coffey manages to weave a compelling story out of tragedy, inspired by a real-life event; 'Breaking Point’ traces the fallout of the grievous death of a child and its impact on two women in particular, making for a story that is heartbreaking and absorbing in equal measure (Read an extract here).

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The Queen of Dirt Island by Donal Ryan

A new Donal Ryan book is always a treat, and The Queen of Dirt Island didn’t disappoint. Set in rural Ireland in the 1980s, the Tipperary man’s seventh novel explores four generations of women in the Aylward family, creating a narrative that is as beautifully-drawn as any of his previous work (Read our review here).

Haven by Emma Donoghue

By now, Emma Donoghue is established as one of our best-known writers thanks to the success of Room. Her latest work tackles a very different yet similarly isolated community, as she delves into a story set amongst a group of monks on Skellig Michael in the 7th century. It’s an unusual frame of reference for a writer of contemporary fiction, but the ever-talented Donoghue pulls it off with aplomb (Read our review here.

Ruth & Pen by Emilie Pine

If you read her essay collection Notes to Self, you’ll be aware of just what a fiercely candid writer Emilie Pine is. Thankfully, that skill has transferred to her debut novel, which tells the story of the titular two women, Ruth (a teenager with autism) and Pen (a therapist) across one day in Dublin, and gently explores grief, love and loss in the process (Read our review here).

The Amusements by Aingeala Flannery

Set in the seaside tourist town of Tramore, Co. Waterford, Aingeala Flannery’s first novel follows the teenage Helen, who is desperate to escape to art college. As she tussles with an alcoholic father, a mother who is indifferent to her problems and an obsession with a classmate, her world is on the verge of unravelling. The Amusements avoids the usual ‘escape from smalltown Ireland’ tropes and weaves a gorgeous, empathetic story of a teenager yearning for freedom (Read an extract here).

Seven Steeples by Sara Baume

Sara Baume’s Spill Simmer Falter Wither was one of the most remarkable debut Irish novels of the last decade, so the Cork-raised author’s subsequent work has a lot to live up to. Her third novel, telling the story of Bell and Sigh - a couple who leave the city for a cottage by the sea with their dogs - is both achingly beautiful and sad, highlighting Baume’s knack for finding the tender moments in melancholy yet again.

All Along the Echo by Danny Denton

The second novel by the editor of The Stinging Fly literary journal is as original a story as you’ll read this year. While the Corkman’s post-apocalyptic debut was compared to the likes of Kevin Barry, this one is set in contemporary Ireland. A radio DJ and his producer travel cross-country as they run a contest to give a a car away to Irish people fleeing from terrorist attacks in London. The themes explored here, coupled with Denton’s adventurous style, are as thought-provoking as they are enjoyable.

Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard

The follow-up to Catherine Ryan Howard’s ‘Covid novel’ 56 Days - impressively penned during lockdown in 2021 - is no less thrilling than its predecessor. The Cork-born author has an innate talent for high-concept plotlines, and this brilliant story about an actress who becomes entangled in the filming of a horror movie is the very epitome of the phrase ‘page-turner’ (Read an extract here).

This Woman’s Work, Edited by Sinead Gleeson & Kim Gordon

She marked herself out as an essayist of note with 2019’s Constellations, but Sinead Gleeson clearly has a shrewd eye for other people’s stories, too. The Dublin-born author teamed up with Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon to edit this superb collection of essays written by women about music. Anne Enright’s brilliant telling of an encounter with her hero Laurie Anderson is especially entertaining, while other contributors include Rachel Kushner, Maggie Nelson and Sub Pop CEO Megan Jasper (Read our review here).

We Were Young by Niamh Campbell

If you love Sally Rooney’s work, you’ll surely enjoy Niamh Campbell’s debut novel. ‘We Were Young’’s absorbing narrative follows Cormac, a photographer approaching middle-age who has fallen into a rut of dating students, while his friends move on with their lives. Things change when he meets young dancer Caroline, and he is forced to confront some truths about himself and his family. The clarity of Campbell’s writing here is a joy to behold.

Homesickness by Colin Barrett

He proved his talent as one of our best short story writers with the remarkable Young Skins and Colin Barrett’s second collection is as fierce and wild as its predecessor. Once again, these stories reflect contemporary Ireland in a way that is rarely captured accurately on the page; perhaps the Mayo man’s voluntary exile (he is now based in Toronto) has further sharpened his view of his homeland. In any case, there is beauty, melancholy and authenticity by the bucketload in these stories.

Joyrider by Angela Scanlon

She’s best known as the presenter of TV shows like The One Show and Your Home Made Perfect on BBC, but Angela Scanlon is also a human being, believe it or not. The Meath woman’s first book is part-memoir, part self-help guide as she reflects upon the concept of gratitude and its importance in all of our lives. It might sound somewhat fatuous, but there is real depth to Scanlon's lived experience and it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Geometer Lobochevsky by Adrian Duncan

On paper, it might not sound like the most thrilling pitch for a novel: a Russian mathematician is hired by Bord na Mona in the 1950s to measure land for harvesting peat. Yet Adrian Duncan’s third novel showcases the author’s attention to detail and talent for meticulously described scenes makes this absorbing novel one to get lost in.

Negative Space by Cristin Leach

She is best known as the art critic for the Sunday Times, but Cristín Leach's memoir turned the focus to her own story - most significantly, the breakdown of her marriage and her bid to understand herself amid the unravelling of that relationship. Leach’s unconventional style and her unusual fusion of art with the personal made for a vulnerable, raw and beautiful portrait (Read our review here).

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

Another writer who had previously impressed with her debut collection of short stories, Louise Kennedy’s debut novel thrilled in all the right places. Documenting an affair between a Protestant barrister and a young Catholic woman in Belfast at the height of the Troubles, Kennedy struck the perfect balance between the smaller and the bigger pictures, as well as personal and public stories (Read our review here).

All Down Darkness Wide by Sean Hewitt

It’s not exactly a groundbreaking feat for an author to expose their innermost thoughts when penning a memoir, but something about poet Sean Hewitt’s story makes All Down Darkness Wide more brutally, beautifully intimate than most. The Trinity English Lit. lecturer explores life, death, mental health and sexuality in a bid to untangle scenes from his life, and you are with him for every joyful and painful step of it.

The best Irish books of 2022 so far

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