Chris Binchy, nephew of best-selling author Maeve Binchy, celebrated the publication of his first novel in Dublin this week. "It is a morality tale of our time," said Niall MacMonagle, Wesley College English teacher and editor of Binchy's book, The Very Man. MacMonagle looked on in amusement at "all the twentysomething dissolutes" chatting in groups around Eason Hanna's bookshop.
Binchy's book, which is published by Pan Macmillan, drew a crowd of writers, friends and family to the launch party. Many of his school-friends from St Conleth's College, including architect Neil Crimmins, with his wife Finola, sales manager Conor O'Dea, and lawyer Mark Woodcock, were looking forward to reading the book, which is set in Dublin. It tells the story of Rory, a southsider who returns from New York to discover the city has changed beyond all recognition.
At the launch were Binchy's sister, journalist Sarah Binchy and parents, Professor of Law, William Binchy and Alice Binchy, co-ordinator of Tallaght Intercultural Action. Gerald Dawe and Brendan Kennelly, directors of the M Phil in Creative Writing at TCD, both came to wish their young writing graduate well. Another young Dubliner there was artist Oliver Comerford, whose show features at the Temple Bar Gallery next month. Others included Alison Walsh, Tivoli Books editor, writer Dan Binchy (Chris's cousin) and writer Colm Tóibín.
"There's nothing worse than a writer's life," said writer Anne Enright, who was the guest speaker. "Hideous, hideous, hideous, it's a terrible career. You're very welcome to it," she said.