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Rónán Hession Steve Langan

'It reinforced my sense of belonging' One Dublin One Book author Rónán Hession on his life in reading

Author Rónán Hession’s debut novel Leonard and Hungry Paul is this year’s One Dublin One Book selection – here, he writes about the joy reading has brought to his life.

THE STRANGEST THING about becoming a writer in my forties is that the thing I’m best known for is something I only started doing in 2017.

I feel like one of those old pubs that gets renovated beyond recognition but reopens under the same name. Or Trigger’s broom in Only Fools and Horses, which lasted a miraculous 20 years, but only because he changed the head 17 times and the handle 14 times.

It makes me think about reinvention; about how life involves new starting points; and about how slippery things like identity and self-perception are. All deep, writerly stuff.

When my debut novel – Leonard and Hungry Paul – was chosen for this year’s One Dublin One Book it felt both huge and intimate at the same time. I have lived in Dublin all my life and the thought of such a quiet book being read by people across my own city made me feel like a literary Rose of Tralee; and yet with reading being such a private experience, the book’s intimacy feels somehow protected.

The newness of writing for me, and the novelty of public attention, has left me searching for a backstory. Where did I begin? When did I begin? Was I always a writer?

Leonard and Hungry Paul cover with sticker

I didn’t read much as a child – I was sort of hyper and my mother thought it best to let me run around after a football until I tired myself out, a strategy that worked for about 32 years.

When I was seven I wrote a book called Sandy Sailors, which my teacher asked me to read for the class and then for other classes. If I were retrofitting a literary life story for myself, I would probably start it there. But in truth, the only things I enjoyed reading back then were Asterix books, Whizzer and Chips, Buster, Match and Shoot. My dream was to become the first ever professional footballer who also commentated simultaneously on matches I was playing.

Unlike most writers, I got into literature through swimming. Once a week I would trek up to Northside swimming pool in Coolock – across the road from the estate where the streets are named after the moon landing (Armstrong Walk, Aldrin Walk, Tranquillity Grove) – with my togs rolled into an old towel.

Afterwards, I would walk off my new verruca around the library next door. There was great autonomy in being a library user. As a child you could go there without adult company, choose the books you wanted and then take them home without there being anything fishy about the whole business. It was the sort of trust you wanted to live up to.

I developed a reading habit so that I would finish my books in time to swap them the following week. Once I started getting into music, my reading tastes followed what my music heroes were talking about. I read Oscar Wilde because Morrissey told me to; Malcom X under the influence of Billy Bragg.

I kept up a reading habit without ever really thinking of myself as a book person.

Reflecting over the years, I think my main reason for reading has been to check whether there was anything in life that I was missing; whether my relatively narrow range of experiences cut me off from the lives of other people in other times and places. Strangely the answer is a sort of ‘no.’

Of course, reading has opened me up to ideas and cultures, but my overwhelming response to a life of reading is that it has reinforced my sense of belonging in the world. That I was born on the right planet after all.

But it has also left me with wider reflections about books which, if you still have some tea left in your mug, I’d like to share with you.

Reading culture

First, Ireland has a strong writing culture because we have a strong reading culture. Ireland’s writers are a subset of our readers, who in turn are connected to a mutually-supporting community involving publishers, book clubs, journalists, festival organisers, bloggers and of course libraries. If future alien visitors discover traces of our civilisation,

I hope they remember us by the fact that our society chipped in to buy thousands of books for everyone to share for free.

Second, writing is not an elite activity. It’s quite special that one of the first things we learn and practice in primary school is creative writing. I like that everyone in the class writes, rather than one or two accomplished writers working in the corner with everyone else in the role of appreciation. Creativity works best when it’s threaded throughout society; accessible and inclusive. Culture is a picture, and the more pixels, the richer the image.

Finally, I would dearly love if more people read fiction in translation and celebrated the valuable work done by translators. Some 95% of the world’s population lives in countries where English is not the first language, yet the books from those countries made up just 5% of fiction sales, with only a third of those being by women.

My reading life was transformed by the example of the late Eileen Battersby who wrote so passionately about translated literature in her Irish Times reviews. There are fantastic writers around the world, including in Japan, Croatia, Argentina, Egypt and Nigeria. It would be wonderful to connect them with enthusiastic readers.

Perhaps I am unusual for a writer in that I’m not too interested in looking back at my
childhood, other than to reflect that I no longer carry around a rolled-up towel and that I am thankfully verruca-free.

But there is comfort in knowing there were things I did then that I still do now; that personal reinvention has limits; that constancy and variety can co-exist.

Maybe that’s what I learned from returning library books: that you don’t need to hang on to things that matter, because they will always stay part of you.

Rónán Hession’s debut novel Leonard and Hungry Paul is published by Bluemoose Books and has been chosen by Dublin City Council as the 2021 One Dublin One Book. To find out more, and see the full programme of events, visit the official website. His second novel, Panenka, is out in May.

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    Mute Rónán Strain
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    Nov 24th 2019, 3:47 PM

    Sounds like another pseudo liberal like Clinton. Hopefully Sanders will win the nomination this time and finally put an end to this Trump circus of ignorance, sexism and racism.

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    Mute bopter
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:06 PM

    Think he’s aiming for a Sanders – Bloomberg or Biden – Bloomberg ticket.

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    Mute Caoimhín O Neill
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    Nov 24th 2019, 6:52 PM

    @Rónán Strain: you forgot jobs, wealth, zero wars, boosted economy too

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    Mute Rónán Strain
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    Nov 24th 2019, 9:08 PM

    @Caoimhín O Neill: you forgot being a russian puupet

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    Mute Obama
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    Nov 25th 2019, 10:02 AM

    @Rónán Strain: sexism and racism ? It’s funny how he wasn’t known for any of those things until he ran as a Republican. Stop watching CNN and read up on actual information.

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    Mute Peter D W Clancy
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    Nov 25th 2019, 11:43 AM

    @Obama: Trump has always had a questionable character. He just used his presidential platform to let the world and all in the universe know all about what he really is.

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    Mute Carlin Ite
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    Nov 24th 2019, 3:49 PM

    The weekend Sanders takes poll position. The establishment are shaking.

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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Nov 24th 2019, 4:09 PM

    @Carlin Ite: Do you have to be 77 to go for this job.

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:07 PM

    @Carlin Ite: Sanders can be bought by the establishment. He’s already proven it by laying over on his back for Clinton in 2016.

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    Mute Rónán Strain
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:17 PM

    @Burn_the_Witch: Better than committing treason and being bought by Russia…

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    Mute D H
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:25 PM

    @Joe Johnson: at least…. Closer to 80 if possible

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    Mute kenneth clohessy
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    Nov 24th 2019, 8:28 PM

    @Rónán Strain: Sanders is a commie

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    Mute Rónán Strain
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    Nov 24th 2019, 9:11 PM

    @kenneth clohessy: He obviously isn’t but i suppose accuracy would not be something expected of your ilk

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    Mute Oonaghx
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    Nov 25th 2019, 12:55 AM

    @Rónán Strain: do you have proof of that Ronan? or are you just going to be repetitive with that nonsense?

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    Mute Gandelow
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    Nov 25th 2019, 6:34 AM

    @kenneth clohessy: so was Jesus if you apply that theory

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    Mute Rocky Rocks
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:27 PM

    Hopefully President Trump gets 4 more years.

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    Mute Al Fresco
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:48 PM

    @Rocky Rocks: 4 years in jail would be good for him.

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    Mute LynchTrea
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    Nov 24th 2019, 7:05 PM

    @Al Fresco: too good

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    Mute Declan Moran
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    Nov 24th 2019, 3:45 PM

    I really wish the Democrats had at least one candidate strong enough to depose the orange one. Instead of a crowded field of people whom don’t come across that great (I could be very wrong). A bit like Labour in England at the moment, missing a perfect opportunity to get rid of BOJO but Corbyn is just not good enough.

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    Mute Francis Tuffy
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:34 PM

    @Declan Moran: Yeah, although 11 candidates have dropped out, there’s still a whopping 14 in the running currently, they need to get down to 4 max., Biden, Warren, Bloomberg and Sanders maybe.

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    Mute Mjhint
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    Nov 24th 2019, 4:28 PM

    I’m doubtful that the American revolution envisaged these types of oligarchs running the USA particularly when they steal the American dream for those it was meant to liberate.

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    Mute Tim McCormack29
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:49 PM

    @Mjhint: yes. Israel loves Trump and they will love Bloomberg as one of their own even more.

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    Mute Stevie Doran
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    Nov 24th 2019, 4:36 PM

    Any candidates under 75 years old?

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    Mute John O'Neill
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    Nov 24th 2019, 4:24 PM

    Time to feel the bern !!

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    Mute Angela McCarthy
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    Nov 24th 2019, 4:19 PM

    Bloomberg heading straight for Iceberg!

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    Mute WreckDefier
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    Nov 24th 2019, 4:38 PM

    Bloomberg, probably the worst candidate in the world

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    Mute Al Fresco
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:19 PM

    @WreckDefier: have you had a look at what else is out there? Trump is going to offer his disservices again, ” Anyone but Trump”

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    Mute Rónán Strain
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:43 PM

    @John Smith: if Moscow doesnt interfere this time, he doesnt stand a chance.

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    Mute Pádraig Healy
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    Nov 25th 2019, 8:00 PM

    @Rónán Strain: still peddling that hoax eh? You’re propping up a lot in these comment sections of late, are you being paid to post all these comments or are you just in need of some employment and have too much time on your hands?

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    Mute Edmund Murphy
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:37 PM

    If he wants an ego trip and to be loved by America he should just write every person living in America a cheque for $160. He would still be a billionare after. That’s how obscenely, immorally wealthy he is.

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    Mute bmul
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    Nov 24th 2019, 3:43 PM

    Self made

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    Mute Barry
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    Nov 24th 2019, 4:20 PM

    @bmul: he’s actually rich and is good at business unlike trump

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    Mute Mary Cull
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    Nov 24th 2019, 4:56 PM

    @Barry: He is deep state fighting back. The swamp will never be drained.

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    Mute Francis Tuffy
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:32 PM

    @Mary Cull: Jesus, if there was such a thing as an all-powerful ‘Deep State’, do you think they’d allow someone as out of control as Trump get elected?

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    Mute Rónán Strain
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:38 PM

    @Mary Cull: The deep state…….jaysus, Best for you to stay off the internet for a while i think:p

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    Mute Burn_the_Witch
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    Nov 24th 2019, 10:48 PM

    @Francis Tuffy: The ‘deep state’ is nothing new or not believable. It’s just a bunch of senior career civil servants spread out across the Government. The only reason you’re hearing about them now is because they’ve been fighting Trump tooth and nail for the past nearly four years. A bunch of bureaucrats pulling in the big bucks from where they shouldn’t, who don’t like an outsider getting in the way. Simples.

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    Mute Al Fresco
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:15 PM

    Anyone but Trump!

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    Mute Chris O'Sullivan
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    Nov 24th 2019, 9:18 PM

    For the man who has everything why not buy yourself a presidency this Christmas lol

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    Mute james r
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    Nov 24th 2019, 4:39 PM

    Way to old …

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    Mute Kevin Barry
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:17 PM

    Devon Nune’s cow is going to declare next Wednesday.

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    Mute Tim McCormack29
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    Nov 24th 2019, 5:38 PM

    Wouldn’t trust another billionaire from New York to be President of the United States..

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    Mute Mel Fitzpatrick
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    Nov 24th 2019, 4:19 PM

    ABT

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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    Nov 24th 2019, 9:13 PM

    It’s not too long ago that 70 + year olds were keen to take life easier, slow things down a little, do some fishing, play more golf, spend some time with the grand-kids, go on a cruise, even get ready, spiritually, for the next world.

    Not anymore, it seems! Pelosi, Biden, Clinton, Saunders, Trump, Ross, and now Bloomberg…all rearing to jump into/ stay in the political swamp for more punishment. No official retiring for these guys!

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    Mute CAMILA REMONA
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    Nov 24th 2019, 3:58 PM

    Well isn’t that blooming marvellous for him …

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    Mute John Smith
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    Nov 24th 2019, 7:50 PM

    What happened to the comments I wrote?

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    Mute Micheál
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    Nov 24th 2019, 7:00 PM

    Only a physical force communistic revolution of the working class will change the US, and hence the world.
    And it will happen!
    Ádh mór don lucht oibre!

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    Mute Cillian Leahy
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    Nov 25th 2019, 3:50 PM

    An easy reelection for Trump so

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