AN ASYLUM FOR MY AFFECTIONS: Sketches of Maeve Brennan

by Molly Hennigan (Editor)

In a letter to her editor at The New Yorker, the Irish writer Maeve Brennan described the emotional landscape provided by her

She gave me an 'asylum for my affections' and I learned that my affections so far exceeded her ability to understand me that she came near to drowning.

In this new anthology of essays about Maeve Brennan, ten contemporary Irish writers consider the various meanings of the word 'asylum': an institution, a site of incarceration, a refuge and a shelter.

They explore cityscapes and girlhood, mythology and folklore, loneliness and transience, the emotional impact of history and diaspora, as well as family connections to Brennan. These 'sketches' offer new and broader perspectives on Brennan's life and the continuing impact of her work in the 21st century.

Contributors
Darran Anderson
Niamh Campbell
Mary Cregan
Roddy Doyle
Arnold Thomas Fanning
Sinéad Gleeson
Belinda McKeon
Éilís Ní Dhuibhne
Kate Phelan
Jessica Traynor

208 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 16, 2026

Reviews

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

some great essays about maeve brennan which has made me immediately want to read her — my faves were niamh campbell’s and sinéad gleeson’s

[nade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew nothing of Maeve Brennan before reading this anthology, now I feel as if we (modern Ireland) are all her. Linked through time and space but I’m left wanting more. Springs of Affection is up next. Beautiful writings with different perspectives on the same elusive character.