Join authors Rónán Hession and Louise Nealon for a conversation about friendship, family and the power of fiction. 

Recently turned into a BBC TV series, Rónán’s novel Leonard and Hungry Paul celebrates introversion and emotional intelligence with the tale of two friends who could easily be overlooked. Following her bestseller Snowflake, Louise’s new novel, Everything That Is Beautiful, moves between rural Ireland and Belfast to tell the story of two families riven by one great secret. 

Rónán and Louise will be in conversation with novelist Andrew Cunning, author of forthcoming Clara and Christina (July 2026). 

This event is supported by the Linen Quarter BID. The Linen Quarter Business Improvement District (LQ BID) is a democratically elected not for profit company and placemaking agency which represents over 350 businesses and works to promote the Linen Quarter as a great place to live, work and visit. For more info visit linenquarter.org

Meet the writers

Rónán Hession is an Irish writer and musician. His fiction has been translated into eleven languages and has been nominated for several major prizes. Leonard and Hungry Paul was selected by Dublin City Council as the 2021 One Dublin One Book. It was also chosen by the Sunday Times and the Irish Times as one of the 50 Great Irish Novels of the 21st Century. It has been adapted for an IFTA-nominated six part BBC series narrated by Julia Roberts, and is on the Irish secondary school curriculum. Ronán’s second novel Panenka was shortlisted for Irish Novel of the Year. His third novel, Ghost Mountain, was a Book of the Year in Review 31 and The Irish Independent. Rónán’s fourth novel Richard Heart Julianne will be published in 2027. As Mumblin’ Deaf Ro, he has released three albums of storytelling songs. His third album Dictionary Crimes was nominated for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year. 

Louise Nealon is a writer from County Kildare, Ireland. Her debut novel Snowflake won Newcomer of the Year at the Irish Book Awards and was the One Dublin One Book choice for 2024. It has been translated into over a dozen languages. Everything that is Beautiful is her second novel.

Andrew Cunning is a writer and English teacher from Belfast, Northern Ireland. His writing on literature, theology and politics has appeared in academic journals, The Irish Times, Slugger O'Toole and Radio 4. Clara and Christina is his first novel. He was a 2025 Novel Fair winner at the Irish Writers Centre.