Doire Press lands two titles inspired by Covid-19 pandemic

Irish publisher Doire Press will publish two October titles inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic, with commissioning editor John Walsh acquiring world English language rights directly from authors Madeleine D’Arcy (pictured) and William Wall (right).

 D'Arcy's Liberty Terrace is a collection of short stories set in a fictional area of Cork City between 2016 to 2020, "capturing the highs and lows of everyday life in the lead-up to and during the pandemic". The synopsis says: "Featuring a wide cast of characters, from a Garda superintendent to a young homeless squatter to a philandering husband, the residents of Liberty Terrace’s lives ebb and flow around each other, prompting readers to consider what it means to be human and be part of a community."

Wall has written a poetry anthology, Smugglers in the Underground Hug Trade: A Journey of the Plague Year. Its synopsis says: "Inspired by the lack of literary references for the Spanish Flu pandemic, Wall decided to capture the roller-coaster that was 2020—from the terrible days of Italy’s spike and the highs and lows of lockdown in Ireland, to the spike around Christmas. It’s more than just about the pandemic, however—capturing moments of tenderness, inspiration, humour and hope all throughout the year."