A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl

by John Quinn

144p hardback, dustjacket, excellent fresh edited interviews with Binchy, Boylan, Devlin, Johnston, Keane, Lavin, O'Brian etc, preface by Seamus Heaney.

Genres: Irish Literature, Nonfiction

Paperback

Published November 11, 1911

About the author

John Quinn is a much-loved broadcaster and radio producer who was the recipient of numerous prestigious radio awards during his twenty-five years with RTÉ. He is also an accomplished author and writer of fiction and non-fiction, including 'Letters to Olive', an intimate and inspiring book, written as a tribute to his late wife. A skilful and engaging storyteller, his children’s novel, The Summer of Lily and Esme, was described as an instant classic and won the 1992 Bisto Children Book of the Year. John Quinn lives in Clarinbridge, Co. Galway.

Reviews

[Marie Southard Ospina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of interviews with Irish authors which were first conducted over the radio in the 1980s. Some of the women, I had not heard of, but I don’t think this detracted from the experience of reading their stories — particularly as someone with a general interest in the stories of women, and of the ways our childhoods shape our entire existences. It was fascinating to pick up on the many ways these authors speak — their warmths and hardnesses — and to do this alongside stories of their upbringings. Like a puzzle, one can muse as to whether the stories they are divulging tie in directly with the personalities and strengths and weaknesses we get to observe through their words. I read this in three brief sittings and would certainly read again if I were to find myself thinking about the ways our formative years shape all the things.

[tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

edited transcriptions of a radio program where authors were invited to speak about their childhoods. i'm sure the interviews themselves are much more worthwhile but a book has the advantage of being more accessible to someone with only a passing interest. perhaps not too surprising but i only enjoyed the accounts from the authors with whom i was already at least somewhat familiar (keane, o'brien). binchy's was the standout as entertaining in its own right but it also felt the most rehearsed

[Lisa Wynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful collection of childhoods recounted by Ireland’s great female writers of the twentieth century. Adapted from a series of radio interviews, the text is relaxed but each woman’s character comes across strongly. The group provides a broad sample of Irish childhood experiences and delightful insight into the early influences which steered them towards books and writing.

[Yasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these women I haven't read before or unfortunately heard of before. I've read many Irish writers, and enjoyed the reading experience. Now I am able to add more names to the list for future reads. A lot of these women's backgrounds were similar to each other. I'm glad this book is in existence because regretably at the Dublin Writer's Musuem (which I visited two years ago) there isn't too many women writers mentioned and as someone said before they don't have too many contemporary writers there. It is a very well written book and I would recommend this book to anyone who has a taste for reading and for Irish writers.