What The Hell/Heaven Are We Doing - 13. Claire - Louise Bennett

The Arts Council Podcast

The Laureate for Irish Fiction, Sebastian Barry, hosts a series of brief conversations with fellow writers asking what is writing. What is its purpose and mystery beyond the pragmatic notions of academia and journalism? This series will form part of a visual archive highlighting the golden age of writing in Ireland. Claire-Louise Bennett grew up in Wiltshire and went on to study Literature and Drama at the University of Roehampton in London, before settling in Galway. She has had her essays and short fiction published in a number of publications including The Irish Times, The White Review, The Penny Dreadful and Gorse. In 2013, she was awarded the inaugural White Review Short Story Prize. With Pond, she presents her first collection of short stories. She has also received bursaries from the Irish Arts Council and Galway City Council. Her debut book, Pond, a collection of short stories, was published by The Stinging Fly (Ireland) and Fitzcarraldo Editions (UK) in 2015, and was published by Riverhead (US) in 2016. The Laureate for Irish Fiction is an initiative of the Arts Council in partnership with University College Dublin and New York University.