Fall 2024 – Spring 2025 Theme – “Women in Irish Literature”

Women have featured prominently in Irish literature, both as authors and as subjects of novels. No longer dismissed as inferior to their male counterparts, many are hailed as award winners. They are seen along with their fellow male novelists as exploring many of today’s complex issues. We will be looking at some of these contemporary women artists and examining the skill and artistry that is found in their works. We will also look at two novels by men that feature women as main characters.

In fact, we begin with a woman novelist whose works have won prestigious awards and an outstanding male novelist who takes on the troubling problem of abuse. In December, we are discussing two short works by Claire Keegan. If names on this list look familiar, it’s because we’ve read other works by Doyle, Keegan, Barry, and O’Brien. We hope you enjoy the challenges presented by the familiar writers and the opportunities to explore new ones. We will also occasionally include poems to complement the work being discussed.

Below are the selections. Each month, a guide will be posted on the website page to prepare you for the discussion of the writer and the selected work.

Meetings will be held in person in the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library Norton Conference Room from 10am – 12pm.

Meeting Policy: All the meetings are scheduled for the McClelland Library (Norton Room). Masks are not required. We observe the safety protocols of the Irish Center and the City of Phoenix.