Meet our autumn 2015 facilitators: 1. Conor Kostick

We caught up with novelist Conor Kostick as he prepares to begin teaching his Finish your Novel course here at the Irish Writers Centre. Over tea and biscuits in the Centre’s library, Conor discussed his summer reading, his favourite childhood book and his preference for print over ebooks. 

Irish Writers Centre: What have you been reading over the summer?

Conor Kostick: I’ve been reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. I can hardly put it down — best three euro I’ve ever spent! Everyone says Dickens is a great novelist, but when I read him 20 or 30 years ago I couldn’t really see it. He is very different to Austen and Tolstoy in his willingness to push the form and structure of the novel.

IWC: What do you need most in order to be able to write?

CK: Time is the most important thing for me. Writing is not a gift, it’s a craft. The more you read and write the stronger your technical skills become.

IWC: For your own reading, do you prefer e-books or traditional print books?

CK: I prefer print. I do have a Kindle, but I find it a little bit harder to sink into the world of the book when reading from the screen.

IWC: What was your favourite book as a child?

CK: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Conor Kostick is the author of a number of successful books. In 2009, Conor was presented with a Special Merit Award by the Reading Association of Ireland; in 2010 he was the Farmleigh Writer-in-Residence. Conor was president of the Irish jury for the EU Prize for Literature, 2015.

Book here for Finish Your Novel with Conor Kostick >>>.

Conor is also available for One-to-One Mentoring

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Expect to e-meet lots more of our facilitators over the coming weeks.