Estelle Birdy’s striking debut novel, Ravelling, set in Dublin’s Liberties, captures modern Dublin as never before portrayed. Vibrantly exploring themes of youth, masculinity, prejudice, multicultural communities, class and more, this book channels the energies and agonies of the city’s young men, balancing their hopes with the harsh realities of their present. Join the author in conversation with author, playwright and creative writing lecturer, Declan Hughes.

Estelle Birdy is a writer, book critic and yoga teacher who has lived at the edge of The Liberties in Dublin since her late teens. Born in London, she grew up in the most beautiful county of Louth but is still happy enough to have (almost) raised four young Dubs. Her debut novel Ravelling, set chiefly in and around The Liberties, focuses on five teenagers in their Leaving Cert year, their families, community and their city – Dublin. Ravelling was part of the Arts Council’s Read Mór promotion for Culture Night 2024. Estelle is an Arts Council Peer Panellist and is a member of the Irish Book Awards Academy. In her spare time she works for the union.

Declan Hughes co-founded Dublin’s Rough Magic Theatre Company. His plays include I Can’t Get Started; Digging for Fire; New Morning; Twenty Grand; Shiver and The Last Summer. Declan’s first novel, The Wrong Kind of Blood, won the Shamus Award for Best First Novel and the Le Point magazine prize for best European crime novel. Subsequent novels include The Colour of Blood; The Dying Breed; All the Dead Voices; City of Lost Girls and All The Things You Are. Declan teaches at the Mary Lavin Centre for Creative Writing, UCD, and is Literature Adviser to the Irish Arts Council.