COMMUNITY:

Irish Cultural Centre Monthly Book Club

In 2017 Dr Anne Goudsmit launched a monthly Book Club at the then newly relaunched Irish Cultural Centre. The inkling that the Irish community in London might be interested in coming together to share ideas and participate in lively discussions about Irish writing was confirmed when the first call for members brought forward over 40 responses.

Current members hail from all parts of Ireland (with a few exceptions who are second-generation Irish) and are from a wide variety of backgrounds, with different educational and life experiences. We explore the best of Irish fiction: influential writers, award-winning living authors whose work is both internationally popular and critically evaluated and we also keep a sharp eye out for new Irish authors. The books we select tend to have one thing in common: they provoke lively discussions about Irish society, about its history, its social, cultural and political life, whilst also providing a fun, enjoyable night out.

Numbers are limited to 15 as otherwise proceedings would become unwieldy and not everyone would have the opportunity to speak. We meet the first Monday of every month at the Irish Cultural Centre, 7-8.30pm. With COVID-19 our meetings are taking place online until further notice.

There are currently vacancies for 2 new members.
If you think you might be interested in joining the ICC Book Club, please contact
[email protected] for further details.

Books read by the Irish Cultural Centre Book Club

  • Mary Costello, Academy Street (2014)
  • John McGahern, Memoir (2005)
  • Edna O’Brien, The Little Red Chairs (2015)
  • Bernard MacLaverty, Midwinter Break (2017)
  • Liz Nugent, Unravelling Oliver (2017)
  • Sebastian Barry, A Long Long Way (2005)
  • Anne Enright, The Green Road (2015)
  • Elizabeth Bowen, The Last September (1929)
  • William Trevor, Last Stories (2018)

  • Joseph O'Connor,Star of the Sea (2002)
  • John Banville,The Book of Evidence (1989)
  • John Boyne,The Heart's Invisible Furies(2017)
  • Donal Ryan,From a Low and Quiet Sea(2018)
  • Sally Rooney,Normal People(2018)
  • Tom Murphy,A Whistle in the Dark(1961)
  • Colum McCann,Let The Great World Spin(2009)
  • Sam Hanna Bell,December Bride(1951)
  • Colm Tóibín,The Heather Blazing(1992)
  • Claire Keegan,Foster(2010)
  • Anna Burns,Milkman(2018)

  • Edna O’Brien,The Country Girls Trilogy(1960, 1962, 1964)
  • Jan Carson,The Fire Starters(2019)
  • Seamus Deane,Reading in the Dark(1996)
  • Sebastian Barry,The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty(1998)
  • Timothy O’Grady & Steve Pyke,I Could Read TheSky(1998)
  • James Joyce,Dubliners(1914)
  • Christine Dwyer Hickey’sTatty(2004)
  • Alice McDermott,Charming Billy(1998)
  • Anne Enright,Actress(2020)
  • Dermot Healy,The Bend for Home(1996)

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