Bridget Tyler asked Sarah Carlson:

How much research into Belfast and the situation there did you do while writing? What was the most unexpected thing you learned?

Sarah Carlson Great question! I am definitely writing outside my lane, so the years I spent researching were absolutely critical. So, don't mind me, but I'm probably going to tell you WAY more than you ever wanted to know about my research process.

I first traveled to Belfast as a part of a group, with the purpose of understanding the Troubles and its impact, in July 2011 for nine days. While there, I had the opportunity to go on political tours of the Shankill and the Falls lead by former Protestant Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Catholic Irish Republican Army (IRA) members, attended several different kinds of church services, toured museums, and spoke with individuals who grew up in Belfast during the Troubles. I also was able to attend an Eleventh Night bonfire in the Tiger's Bay area of Belfast and the Twelfth of July parade. I also did the coastal drive to Giant's Causeway/Dunluce Castle.

This experience left me wanting to understand both the history of the Troubles and how it shaped current events. I also found a story to tell around the lingering intergenerational trauma that is impacting some youths, even though they cannot remember the Troubles. I spent several years researching the history of the Troubles. On a daily basis, I tracked current events in Belfast and Northern Ireland (particularly December 2013 through Spring 2016) in local newspapers with a variety of different perspectives, including the Belfast Telegraph, The Newsletter, Irish News, the BBC, and Irish Republican News. I catalogued both UVF and IRA activities from articles to ensure I was accurately capturing a sense of the paramilitary groups. Several of the events in ALL THE WALLS OF BELFAST are based on actual events that happened in 2012, when the book is set, so I read numerous articles and watched newscasts covering those riots to do my best to capture it. I also watched a multitude of videos of riots, bonfires, and flute band parades.

Additionally, I read research articles about the current status of peace walls in Northern Ireland, their physical structures and how they’ve been fortified over the past few decades; working class Protestant and Catholic youth perspectives on the post-Troubles situation and paramilitaries; educational achievement among boys from Protestant working class communities; the activities of paramilitaries and their adherence to the terms of the Good Friday Agreement; and “Blood and Thunder” flute bands. Among other things. Then I also researched things like the educational system in the UK and Northern Ireland (whoa it’s different), the process to enlist as a British army officer, clothing styles and brands popular with different classes in Northern Ireland, and even how to open a current (checking) account at Ulster Bank.

I also had to do tons of research around dialect, starting with the subtle and obvious differences between American and British English, which are immense, and then taking it further and delving into specifically Belfast dialect. Living in Singapore, where British English is standard, and having many English and Scottish friends, helped tremendously. I also used a variety of forms of media, including books, documentaries, movies, TV shows from Northern Ireland, and Facebook groups. I watched interviews with teenagers from working class Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods to get a sense of their world view. I researched the meanings of commonly seen graffiti and several of the memorials in both the Shankill and the Falls,

I visited Belfast on three occasions (Summer 2011, Summer 2015, Summer 2016) and went to every setting location, even the bathroom of a bus station. It was interesting to see how some of the more threatening murals in the Shankill did change over the years. Then I also was constantly Google Maps Streetviewing everything—interesting note, Google Maps updates some areas more than others. While in Belfast, I worked hard to get perspectives from people who grew up in working class Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods through political tours lead by former UVF and IRA members and chance encounters with people at churches, taxi drivers, hotel clerks, museum workers, and friends of friends.

I also worked very closely with a number of writers and editors in Belfast to ensure that I was accurately capturing culture, language, and perspective (both historic and current). They tore apart many drafts.

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