CLAIRE KEEGAN by Literaturfestival Zürich 2026

2026-06-06 13:14:03 UTC

Your writing is famously concise. How do you know when a sentence deserves to stay?

2026-06-06 13:15:12 UTC

Was interessiert Sie besonders an den Momenten, in denen Beziehungen aus dem Gleichgewicht geraten?

2026-06-06 14:05:51 UTC

Claire Keegan, your stories often seem to turn on the smallest possible disturbance: a gesture slightly delayed, a sentence not quite answered, a silence that suddenly becomes unbearable. What I find remarkable is that the drama rarely announces itself as drama - it accumulates almost invisibly. When you write, are you consciously building toward that moment of recognition, or do you try to stay close to the surface of ordinary life and trust that the moral pressure underneath will eventually reveal itself?

2026-06-09 18:01:38 UTC

Schreiben Sie Gedichte?

2026-06-24 06:09:36 UTC

Ihre Sprache ist so präzise. Wie oft überarbeiten und/oder kürzen Sie Ihre Texte?

2026-07-03 15:19:00 UTC

I've listened to you answering questions about how you write ("cooly" is the only specific I remember) and I get the sense there are similarities with how you write, and with how it's possible to work in harmony with horses. What are your thoughts?

2026-07-06 13:59:16 UTC

would it be possible to give a quick rundown of Sabines perspective throughout their relationship? :)

2026-07-07 07:33:20 UTC

In the age of AI, what are your advises for aspiring authors who are concerned about the future of publishing and keeping the human voice? What are your thoughts on that?

2026-07-07 09:09:55 UTC

Your stories are full of "small", quiet moments that carry a lot of meaning. They are discrete, yet impossible to miss. What helps you make sure those moments are noticed and understood by readers?

sampw44 — 2026-07-09 11:41:08 UTC

You speak very passionately about animals and rural landscapes, such as your farm and the Irish countryside, and I wonder whether these provide you with an escape from the cruelties of behaviours like misogyny, which is prominent in your writing?

2026-07-09 15:08:13 UTC

You once said that long ago you took the great advice Chekhov gave in one of his letters, to ‘write coolly’. Could you illustrate that?

2026-07-09 17:19:48 UTC

Haben Sie sich schon mal überlegt, einen Roman von mehreren hundert Seiten zu schreiben?

2026-07-09 17:37:38 UTC

Where do you get your inspiration generally? How the idea strikes you and makes you tell “I want to write about this”? Could you run us through your writing process briefly?

2026-07-09 18:05:26 UTC

Do you have a writing routine that you follow? Or is there a time of day, a setting that you prefer?

2026-07-09 18:10:23 UTC

What are your thoughts on your stories that have inspired/been turned into film? Does the visual storytelling add to/remove from your stories?

2026-07-09 18:13:12 UTC

Why do you prefer the short form to the long form?

2026-07-09 18:14:21 UTC

Do you have a "favourite" book out of your books? Or one that stayed with you the most?

2026-07-09 18:21:29 UTC

Ihre Bücher leben von detaillierten Beschreibungen von Landschaften. Haben Sie einen Lieblingsort in Irland? Wieso ist es Ihr Lieblingsort?

2026-07-09 18:24:40 UTC

Wenn der Beruf schon so viel mit Büchern und Schreiben zu tun hat, haben Sie noch Lust Bücher zu lesen in Ihrer Freizeit? Wenn ja, wie wählen Sie Ihre Bücher?

2026-07-09 18:25:07 UTC

As an English teacher: which of your books would you want to be read in class?

2026-07-09 19:23:08 UTC

What are some of your favorite short stories, and what do you think makes a good short story?

2026-07-09 19:39:48 UTC

How do you choose the books you read for pleasure? Are there books you read because you feel you should read them?

2026-07-09 19:42:59 UTC

Do you think you could live anywhere else but in Ireland?

2026-07-09 19:49:07 UTC

One book that you read lately that you really liked and would recommend...

2026-07-09 19:49:07 UTC

Is Literature political?

2026-07-09 19:50:23 UTC

How do women not loose hope to find an equal / emotionally mature partner in face of still so many dull men?

2026-07-09 19:50:59 UTC

To me Bill Furlong is a hero. How did you find him?

2026-07-09 19:51:43 UTC

Which modern authors do you enjoy?