Claire Nicholls

And that was 20 years ago, but published now in this book.

Had that story been published previously?

Don't let anything slip.

Colin's got to use it and you don't know when.

There's actually at least three stories in this collection, I think, that are set in Catalonia, Barcelona.

What's your connection to this part of the world?

Do you write these things down, these little tidbits that you get, so you can keep them in a diary for 10 years?

I mentioned Catalonia, but there are other reoccurring themes across these stories.

Colm Tobin, there's war and estrangement.

There are explorations of ideas of sin and guilt.

And there are also some really specific reoccurring motifs that I noticed.

For example, people applying for bank accounts, people locked in places.

When you look at this collection altogether,

What do you notice about what your own preoccupations or interests were over this period of time?

There's a story in your collection.

It's called Five Bridges and it's about an Irishman.

I think he is called Paul in this case.

They're all called Paul or Tom.

He's about to return home and he's been away from Ireland for more than 30 years.

So he is really going back to a place that he doesn't know.