Sarah Kanowski

It's a mark of sophistication if someone's learnt to put their togs on before leaving the house.

It's Irish yoga, I guess.

When you'd have those family summers by the sea, were you still going to mass every week?

Was faith and the traditions of faith a big part of your family?

Sweetens the deal.

Yeah.

In my experience, Colm, Catholics can be very devout and at the same time highly critical, particularly women Catholics.

Was your mother like that?

Writing.

What value did that have in your family?

What do you remember as a little kid?

Did that spill over to the way people spoke?

Like were your family great storytellers in speaking?

Was it something about writing it down, the written word?

Nearly bought a coat.

And did they talk about that?

It seems when you describe it like that, Colin, almost inevitable that you would become a novelist, that form that lets you be inside people's head and see that contrast between what they're thinking, what they know and what they say out loud to other people.

You were fourth in the family and you and number five were sent off to the country when you were eight or so.

Did you know why?

You'd only just learned to read at that point.