Copyright evoke
I was so happy to lend my name to Irish Book Week as it's a great idea to take a step back and look at how important books are to us as a country. The time I've spent in London has acted as a wonderful opportunity to take stock, not only personally but as an Irishman abroad, looking over the wall and seeing everything from a different angle. This applies to politics, media, tourism and everything in between, but the arts really come into focus givenmy interests and given the city I spend most of my time in. I get home most weekends these days so mine is not the classic emigrant experience by any means but I can still make a few observations along the way and, for the most part, they reflect very well on the island I call home. Irish Book Week made me think of the countless authors, poets, illustrators, booksellers and librarians who add to the literary joy of a nation - and we do it so very well. The London bookshops are plentiful and beautiful but they generally lack the warmth of Irish bookshop staff who tend to be more interested in what the customer wants or needs and will be willing to make suggestions without being in a particular hurry to get to the next person. That's not to say that the Londoners are awful - they aren't - but they are usually a little more distant and busy moving on to keep the next customer satisfied. Local independent Irish booksellers are a beautiful breed of bibliophiles who can be found in most towns and cities around the country. They have often replaced a closed post office or café as a social hub for like-minded souls to gather and are run by engaged and engaging book lovers who will always find that tome you need. I urge you to think about visiting your local bookshop soon and, if possible, put in your Christmas order there rather than on Amazon or the like (they provide a fine service and I use them when stuck but we really need to keep the local dream alive). As for the librarians of the country, they too are a different breed and run the most democratic literary service in the land thanks to the fact that every book in the building is free to borrow - and that's before we get to the other services they provide. There's always a warm welcome and even some much-needed social interaction for those who have little of it in their lives. My local library in London is a fine spot but, for the real deal, I go home. I mentioned Irish Book Week on Instagram during the week and the response was so positive. People respect and are loyal to their local bookshops which bodes well for the future of these important purveyors of all books, great and small. The question of community is another that I think of regularly as I walk down the busy streets of London. People don't nod or say hello - it's not that kind of city. It's a magnificent city, don't get me wrong. The museums, theatres, parks, churches, etc are endless and it is never boring for the curious mind, but it lacks the social warmth that is so prevalent and constant at home. Given what I did for a living in Ireland, I'm recognised pretty much wherever I go (this is not a flex, it's just one of those things!). Now people often ask me what it's like in London and am I recognised much. I tell them the truth, which is that I'm a ghost over here and I love it. I compare it to an episode of my beloved Twilight Zone. I imagine that show's creator, Rod Serling, addressing the camera, cigarette in hand, as he tells the viewer: 'Picture a man, a man who everyone knew, who was the talk of the town and then [Rod clicks his fingers], watch him now on the Tube in London or cycling through Piccadilly on a city bike or indeed running through Regent's Park at six in the morning with an inscrutable smile on his face. Nobody looks, beeps or takes a photo on their phone. Has this man won or lost?' To answer the fictional question, I'm very fortunate on a number of fronts (I'll go into greater detail if I write the book but for now) and London has become a curious friend. I work with the most lovely people, I have made friends for life. I know the value of friendships and relationships in a way I never quite understood and I have a new sense of Ireland and the place I call home. Work-wise, London has allowed me access to wonderful guests that I might never have got to interview at home. My show on Virgin/Q102 and at the weekend on Limerick Live95/ Cork 96FM/LMFM (between 10am and 12pm, as you ask!) as well as The Bookshelf podcast which I record in both London and Dublin, allow me to do what I love and to try different things. The media moves differently in London: there's great fluidity and plenty of opportunity to mix things up which adds a creative frisson to proceedings. View this post on Instagram Just this week I interviewed Hugh Bonneville, Piers Morgan, and Jeffrey Archer, while the Bookshelf episode with comedian Emma Doran did great business for us as she's an exceptionally funny person who had me in stitches during her appearance. I went to the new Springsteen movie (he was there along with Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong), saw The Producers on the West End and I'll be heading to see the Donal Lunny documentary at The Barbican later and Westlife at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday, having spent an afternoon at the National Gallery in Dublin with my Mum and Clare on Saturday, so you see, as the song says, we can work it out.
