Kathy Sheridan

Katrina, thanks so much for coming into the Women's Podcast.

And I can't get over the success of these two books.

Poor has sold, what, about a quarter of a million copies?

Yeah.

In Ireland and the UK in the last few years.

And Hungry, I think, is about two steps behind it.

The most recent one.

What has that been like for you?

You probably don't remember this, but I was at the Irish Book Awards where you won, I think you won two awards.

I should have won three.

Oh, well, OK.

I was very impressed that you won too.

And we met in the lift and I think you were taking off your shoes.

Am I right about that?

But I remember I came away with an impression of great warmth and thinking, my goodness, I've now sort of met the woman who has been the talk of the night here.

And it went on from there.

So Poor was about growing up in Coventry, Catriona, and a childhood that was unspeakable.

Neglect, deprivation, addiction, physical...

Abuse, rape, emotional abuse.

And for anyone, as we know, who never understood the lived experience of childhood poverty.