Reissue of The Light Makers by Mary O’Donnell

The Light Makers by Mary O’Donnell

ISBN 978-0-9931443-3-2 /198 pp/€12.95 /Pub date: 03 July 17

Photojournalist Hanna Troy is killing time on a summer walkabout in the city. As the afternoon progresses, her reflections unravel a raw, sometimes sensuous story of darkness and light. It explores a failing relationship, the anguish of a professional trying to become a mother and the complexities of a young and outspoken woman in Ireland’s somewhat repressed 1980s. Considering the experiences of her contemporaries and evoking family events long past that still resonate, Hanna is determined that her own resilience will overcome the challenges she faces.

When The Light Makers was first published it received widespread acclaim, with critics describing Mary O’Donnell’s debut as ‘compelling’, ‘powerful’ and ‘erotic’. It rated in the Irish best seller listings for weeks and became the Sunday Tribune’s choice as ‘Best New Irish Novel of 1992.’ For any contemporary reader, the vibrant voice of Hanna, with her very real woman’s concerns, is as valid in today’s Ireland as it was twenty five years ago.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mary O’Donnell’s novel The Light Makers was recently re-published by 451 Editions. She is the author of sixteen other books, both poetry and fiction, and has also co-edited a book of translations from the Galician. Her titles include Virgin and the Boy, and The Elysium Testament, as well as poetry such as The Place of Miracles, Unlegendary Heroes, and her most recent critically acclaimed seventh collection Those April Fevers (Arc Publications UK, 2015). She has worked in journalism, especially theatre criticism. Her essays on contemporary literary issues are widely published. She also presented and scripted three series of poetry programmes for the national broadcaster RTE Radio, including, during 2005 and 2006, a successful series on poetry in translation called ‘Crossing the Lines’. She has taught creative writing at Maynooth University and worked on the faculty of Carlow University Pittsburgh’s MFA programme in creative writing for eleven years. She currently teaches creative writing at Galway University. A volume of essays, Giving Shape to the Moment: the Art of Mary O’Donnell, Poet, Short Story Writer and Novelist is forthcoming in 2018. She is a member of Aosdána, and is available for lectures and readings. For more information: authormodonnell@gmail.com and  www.maryodonnell.com