Bestselling Irish author Ruth O'Leary joins Kate and Michelle to discuss her latest novel, The Last Week of Him, the story of three women reunited in the west of Ireland after receiving a shocking WhatsApp message about the sudden death of their secondary school golden boy.

Ruth walks through exactly how the book came together, she also reflects on the central question she hopes the book raises for readers and book clubs: how well do we really know our friends when so much of our insight into their lives comes through social media? And does a difficult upbringing ever truly excuse the way we treat people?

Away from the page, Ruth shares stories from over twelve years working as a film and TV extra, from playing a nun beside Russell Crowe to running up Wicklow fields as a Viking.

A joyful, generous conversation about storytelling, friendship & writing.

Key takeaways for writers:

• A strong visual concept, can anchor an entire novel before you write a word.
• Using a tight timeframe as a structural scaffold keeps your plot grounded and your pacing sharp.
• Writing detailed character bios with reference images before drafting helps bring fictional people to vivid life.
• Location is not just backdrop, it actively shapes what your characters can and cannot do.
• Epilogues matter: if you are invested in your characters, your readers will be too.

Natter is proudly brought to you in association with Bookstation Ireland & IrishCentral.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After many years of writing, journalist and Sunday Times Ireland political editor Jennifer Bray finally landed her dream book deal and “The Lies Between Us” was worth every moment of the wait.

In this episode, Jen joins Kate and Michelle for an honest conversation about the long road to publication. She reflects on the early manuscripts that didn't make the cut, the emotional chaos of being on submission and why she believes persistence is the single most important quality a writer can have.

She also digs into the concept of the "thoughtful rejection", how detailed feedback from agents, though hard to hear, can completely redirect a writer's journey for the better.

A must-listen for anyone who has ever wondered whether to keep going. Spoiler: keep going.

Key takeaways for writers:

• Every unpublished manuscript teaches you something, don't dismiss the ones that don't make it.
• Treat detailed rejection feedback as a signpost, not a dead end.
• Research agents carefully and show you understand what they're looking for.
• Strong, believable characters are the foundation of great fiction.
• Persistence is one of the only things that separates published writers from unpublished ones.

Natter is proudly brought to you in association with Bookstation Ireland & IrishCentral.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestselling Irish author Edel Coffey joins Kate and Michelle to discuss her latest thriller, In Glass Houses.

Edel explores how growing up in South County Dublin, walking past peacocks and palatial homes whilst living in a estate, shaped her fascination with class divides and privilege. She discusses the sliding doors moments that change lives forever, how generational wealth creates different moral outcomes and the topic of how we all think we're good people until doing the right thing actually costs us something.

For writers, Edel shares her brilliant practical approach: she wrote much of her debut novel in 15 to 20 minute bursts whilst waiting at the school gates, treating her story like a sourdough starter that needed feeding daily. She's honest about the nature of publishing success and having to continually raise the bar but reveals she's finally feeling more confident in her craft.

Plus, Edel discusses what home truly means when you live far from your roots, her recent militant stance on smartphones and teases a secret project in a completely different genre that's been obsessing her for five years.

Natter is proudly brought to you in association with Bookstation Ireland & IrishCentral.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.