Claire Keegan

I think things are much better.

I certainly have a completely different life to the life my mother had.

It's wonderful.

No, no, not at all.

None.

And I didn't receive any for small things like these either, because, you know, that was set in New Ross, which is here in Wexford.

And it was, you know, it was a Magdalene laundry in the town.

So I did expect to get some criticism from the people of New Ross about representing the town that way, but I got none at all.

Because there was a Magdalene Laundry there and it's documented.

I receive lots of responses, really several responses almost on a daily basis from readers.

And I haven't had anything negative at all.

Great.

I think the women, I do, I know this shouldn't be funny, but I do sometimes meet women and after readings they come over to get a book signed and they say, you know, I was married to a kaho or I escaped a kaho.

Or I was engaged to a Cahal, or I went out with a Cahal.

And I feel sorry for men whose name is Cahal now.

But the reason I chose it was because it was a name that doesn't have a female equivalent.

Well, thank you for the question.

I think I try and leave out anything that's unnecessary.

And if it's unnecessary, that's the piece that I leave out.

But the thing that I leave in must somehow inform what is left out, if that makes any sense.