Charleen Hurtubise’s novel Saoirse, her U.S. debut, is set in the wilds of Donegal in 1999, where artist Saoirse (a name that means freedom in the Irish language) lives an outwardly idyllic life. But Saoirse’s secrets haunt her: born in America, she stole an Irish woman’s identity in order to survive. When her Dublin exhibition wins a prestigious award, the resulting publicity threatens to expose the life she left behind.
The Irish language (often referred to by North Americans as Gaelic), makes minor appearances in my upcoming novel, Saoirse, yet it plays a significant role in the overarching theme of the story. In a way, this parallels life in parts of Ireland where English is now the dominant spoken language. Even when not used daily, the poetry of Ireland’s indigenous language is everywhere: in place names, in phrases, and in the musicality of both the spoken and written word. Irish writers are often asked why Ireland is currently having an outsized impact on international literature, given the country’s size, and I am certain a great debt is owing to Irish and its influence on how English has evolved as a result. The elements of humor, lyricism, and duality of meaning are ever present in Irish contemporary literature. These five books offer a small sample of the current literary landscape in all its vibrancy.
Thirty-Two Words for Field: Lost Words of the Irish Landscape
Ireland is still heartsick at the loss of Magan, one of its finest writers. A naturalist, spell-caster, and enthusiast of the Irish language, he wrote with great passion and wit on the etymology of Irish. He explored the profound connection between language and land, and the way language is forged through the rhythms of nature and the human spirit. His many accessible books have sparked a renewed interest in Irish, attracting readers across all ages.
Dinosaurs on Other Planets
McLaughlin is an Irish writer whose work has influenced my own writing and imagination. She has published widely, including in the Stinging Fly and the New Yorker, and she won the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award. Her debut novel, The Art of Falling, was published in 2021 and her novella, Rituals, is forthcoming in April 2026. McLaughlin is a Windham-Campbell recipient, a prestigious award with no submission process, in which writers are unaware their work is under consideration—a concept that inspired the visual art prize in my novel, Saoirse. This short story collection, Dinosaurs on Other Planets, is a masterclass in depicting human relationships. She builds tension through doubt, miscommunication, and the impossibility of fully knowing another person.
Glorious Exploits
A hilarious and clever take on a classic tragicomedy, Lennon’s debut novel is set in Sicily and follows two local potters and a band of captured Athenian soldiers staging one of Euripides’s most famous tragedies. Lennon breathes life into characters through a dialect and humor that distinctly belongs to Dublin. Do yourself a favor and don’t miss the audio version read by the author himself. The novel won many accolades, including Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize and the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction. It was also adapted for BBC Radio 4.
Everything That Is Beautiful
A powerful storyteller, Nealon specializes in family dynamics. Her debut, Snowflake, won the Irish Book Award for a newcomer in 2021. Her second novel, Everything That Is Beautiful, is a study in betrayal, loyalty, and the burden of carrying a family’s secrets. Set against the backdrop of GAA sporting culture—Ireland’s community-based tradition of football and hurling—Nealon offers an authentic glimpse into life in rural Ireland. In turns humorous and emotional—this story is so strong on love—it makes the reader feel as though they've come through the characters’ front door and taken a seat on the sofa. And then they won’t want to leave.
Black Butterflies
Morris is among a growing number of contemporary writers who have come to these shores from elsewhere. Originally from London, she now divides her time between Ireland and Spain. Born to a Bosnian mother, she spent childhood summers in Sarajevo. When war broke out there in 1992, her grandparents and many relatives were trapped in the siege. Her debut novel tells the story of besieged Sarajevo through Zora, an artist and teacher trapped in the city for ten months. Inspired by Morris’s family history, it explores art as a means of survival and resilience, even a lifeline in the face of the cruelty and devastation of war. The novel was fiction runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize in 2025 and a New York Times Best Historical Fiction book in 2024, and Morris was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2023.
