The Boatman

by Billy O’Callaghan (Jonathan Cape)

A collection of short stories from the very talented O’Callaghan, whose 2019 novel, My Coney Island Baby, was one of the finest Irish fictions of last year. The 12 pieces in this book, including the title story, shortlisted for the Costa Short Story Award, are set against diverse backdrops such as the sodden fields of Ireland, a sweaty bar in Segovia and a squalid, anonymous hotel room, elegiac, carefully conceived tales of ordinary lives.