1. Roisín O’Donnell – Nesting (Simon & Schuster, January 2025)
Roisín O’Donnell’s ‘Nesting’ is already making waves. Billed as the tale of one woman’s escape from an abusive marriage into a cycle of precarious housing, O’Donnell’s novel has been longlisted for the prestigious Women’s Prize for Fiction. Its raw, socially realistic setting and relatable protagonist makes it a claustrophobic, frightening and ultimately redemptive read which is sure to reward readers with its compassion.
2. Garrett Carr – The Boy from the Sea (Picador, February 2025)
A veteran of children’s literature as well as the excellent non-fiction Irish border travelogue ‘The Rule of the Land’ (Faber & Faber, 2017), Garrett Carr has at last turned his hand to adult long-form fiction. The result is ‘The Boy from the Sea’, a kind-hearted portrait of a small seaside community in southwest Donegal coming to terms with the arrival of a small child who has washed ashore in a barrel.
3. Patrick Holloway – The Language of Remembering (Epoque Press, 25 February 2025)
After returning from Brazil, protagonist Oisín seeks to reconnect with his ailing mother Brigid who has just been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Realising that Brigid, who is fluent in Irish, connects better in the language of her youth, Oisín resolves to teach himself how to speak in his mother’s tongue. ‘The Language of Remembering’ is a deeply sincere, moving account of a prodigal son’s return home and an intelligent exploration of how language can shape personhood.
4. Róisín Lanigan – I Want to Go Home but I’m Already There (Fig Tree, 20 March 2025)
Lanigan has made her reputation as a sharp, witty non-fiction writer with genuine funny bones and a real eye for detail. Now that she has turned her hand to fiction, ‘I Want to Go Home but I’m Already There’ reads like a nightmarish cross between Daphne du Maurier and Angela Carter for Generation Rent. The story follows Áine as she gets to grip with her pristine new life in an affluent London neigbourhood with her partner Elliot. What follows is a skin-crawling gothic horror story populated with bakeries, yoga studios and organic supermarkets. You won’t want to miss it.
5. Gráinne O’Hare – Thirst Trap (Picador, 12 June 2025)
Gráinne O’Hare is a rising star of the Belfast New Wave, having been shortlisted for the Francis MacManus Short Story Competition and the Bridport Prize, as well as having placed in the top three of the Benedict Kiely Short Story Competition in 2021 and 2022 and receiving an award from New Writing North in 2022.
With her debut novel ‘Thirst Trap’ it’s easy to see why. The story follows Maggie, Harley and Róise as they navigate houseshares in questionable accommodation, one-night stands, hangovers and, ultimately, catastrophe. This book is for anyone who has found themselves on the fraying end of a close friendship, appreciates comedy or experienced their twenties in a blur of high emotion.
