I’m thrilled to introduce the wonderful Irish author Barbara Leahy whose debut novel Rembrant’s Promise will be published by Eriu in early 2025. In this interview, Barbara talks to us about the importance of competitions, creative writing courses and friendship when trying to get published.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do this Q&A, Barbara. Did you always want to be a novelist?
I loved reading from an early age. As a child I tore through the family bookshelf where Frank O’Connor, Jane Austen and Agatha Christie cohabited with poetry and songbooks. An early favourite was a second-hand edition of Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince and Other Stories. When I got a bit older, I found myself trying to peer into the mechanism to figure out how the writer does what they do. Novels inspired but also intimidated me.
I wanted to write, but for years I convinced myself that I couldn’t possibly do it. The thought of trying and failing terrified me.
Have you completed any writing courses, or are you in a writing group?
I’ve done lots of creative writing courses. They were my path into writing and helped build my confidence. I started with an evening course at Cork ETB. The encouragement I received there motivated me to continue. I did several courses with the Munster Literature Centre, and also with the West Cork Literature Festival.
Through the Munster Literature Centre I met the members of my writing group: Marie Gethins, Danielle McLaughlin, and Marie Murphy. Thirteen years later we still meet every two weeks. Their advice and insights are invaluable. I wouldn’t be writing today if it wasn’t for their support and friendship.
Your short stories have won numerous awards, appeared in the Bridport Prize Anthology, the Bristol Prize Anthology and have been broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1. Do you feel that these achievements were stepping stones on the path to getting a novel published? Would you encourage aspiring authors to enter competitions and submit to anthologies?
Submitting stories to competitions is a great motivator because competitions have deadlines! It’s also a good exercise to write within the constraints of a specific word count or theme. I would absolutely encourage people to send work out. It’s a great boost to get work published but I try not to get sidelined by wins or losses. Easier said than done, but I’ve always found it best to quickly move on.
You were a winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2023. Is that how you met your agent, Ger Nichol of The Book Bureau? Did you also meet your editor Deirdre Nolan of Eriu through the Novel Fair?
I started to write Rembrandt’s Promise in 2020, and had the Novel Fair in my sights early on. The Novel Fair gives writers access to a select group of agents and publishers. You get to pitch your work to industry professionals so you need to refine the essence of what your novel is about. The adrenaline in the room on the day was incredible, I learned so much from the reactions I received. Some probing questions made me think more about timelines and pacing. I met Ger Nichol of the Book Bureau and Deirdre Nolan of Eriu on the day and both of them really engaged with what I was trying to achieve.
I was delighted to receive an offer of representation from Ger following Novel Fair, and after more conversation and emails I had a strong instinct that she was the right agent for me. Deirdre Nolan was enthusiastic from the beginning and I could tell straight away that she understood the heart of the story. By the time she requested the full manuscript, I had already signed with Ger. I was thrilled to get an offer from Eriu because I knew I could work well with Deirdre. Eriu is a relatively new imprint and has been steadily building an impressive portfolio of writers so it feels very exciting to be part of that.
Do you have a set writing routine, or any rituals when you’re in need of inspiration?
I work very slowly. I tried to write 200 words a day. It might not sound like a lot, but it’s an achievable target which keeps me connected with my work in progress. A lot of research is involved in writing historical fiction and it never really ends. Little things crop up all the time.
Sometimes I won’t reach my 200 word target because I need to check when people first used dinner forks, or what the composition of soap was in the mid-seventeenth century.
Finally, what’s your favourite piece of writing advice?
I have lots of favourites but I’m going to go with a quotation from Doris Lessing: “Whatever you were meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.” This resonates for me because I spent years finding excuses not to write. Finally, I had to accept that there would never be a time when writing would become easy and convenient. I just had to start, and keep going!
Rembrandt’s Promise is available for pre-order here
