'Just the page . . .and the right words'

 

“No matter how close to personalexperience a story might be, inevitably you are going to get to a part thatisn't yours and, actually, whether it happened or not becomes irrelevant. It isall about choosing the right words.“ – Roddy Doyle

 

Born in Dublin, Ireland on  May 8, 1958, Doyle is an award-winningnovelist, dramatist, and screenwriter.  The author of 14 novels foradults, 10 books for children, and numerous plays, screenplays and shortstories, he has had several of his works adapted into films.  Hisnewest novel, in the “Paula Spencer” series, is 2024’s The Women Behind TheDoor.

 

A one-time secondary school teacher,Doyle switched to full-time writing after his first three novels – collectivelyknown as “The Barrytown Trilogy” – not only sold well but also weremade into successful films.   His 1993 book – PaddyClarke Ha Ha Ha – won the prestigious Booker Prize, awardedannually to the best original English language novel published in the UnitedKingdom.

 

Doyle’s stories, built around heavyuse of dialogue, primarily focus on the lives of working-class Dubliners withthemes ranging from domestic and personal concerns to larger questions of Irishhistory.   

 

“I tend to plan as I write,” hesaid. “And I want to leave myself open and the character open to keep on goinguntil it seems to be the time to stop.  When I'm writing I just thinkthere's only the page and me and nobody else.”