Diaries, Letters & Journals

Martin Doyle, Books Editor of The Irish Times, has interviewed many of the most talented and successful Irish writers at different stages of their careers. This selection of his journalism offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of the Irish literary world as it has evolved in the past four decades.

A nostalgic look back at stories that mattered through correspondence with the iconic Gay Byrne radio show.

This book is dedicated to everyone at Pieta House, a suicide prevention charity. This is a work of non-fiction apart from the character of Martin who is fictional but whose story reflects the heartache and loss so many families endure every year.

AN POST BOOK AWARDS. SHORTLISTED FOR BEST IRISH PUBLISHED BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025

'I welcome you with open arms to my book of treasures. It's a book for all seasons and for all occasions; and it comes to you from me, with armfuls of effusive greetings and salutations, trailing clouds of glory and affection, this offering of treasures made specially for you.'   Joanna Lumley

The Passing Year is a very personal record of his observations on world events – Gaza, the return of President Trump, wars, famines and climate change – leavened with reflections on the deaths of mentors such as Charles Handy and Michael Coady, together with readings from books and poems he encountered during the year.

Sitting in the prison classroom each morning, reading the pages in my book, listening to the teacher, I could feel myself slowing down. I had achieved greatness. I had won three Wimbledon titles, two Aussie Opens, the US Open, two Davis Cups, an Olympic gold medal.

Politics: The three vowels and five consonants which control our world. 'But what has politics got to do with me?' I hear you ask. Well, quite a lot really.

In this book of his collected writings, over 100 of his best articles and papers are drawn into one volume. Agree or disagree with the stances he takes, McDowell’s arguments are always clear, thought-provoking, and grounded in a deep understanding of history, politics and law.

Does true connection ever feel just out of reach? Take Lucinda Light’s hand as she illuminates the path to deeper, more meaningful relationships – starting with the one you have with yourself. 

A Mother's Guided Journal To Share Her Life & Her Love. Mum, I Want to Hear Your Story is the delightful way for you to discover everything from your mother's childhood memories to the profound turning points in her life. 

From the peaks of the Himalayas to the historic grounds of Hampton Court, there’s always a perfect spot for a picnic! Anne Glenconner invites both old friends and new acquaintances to join her in The Picnic Papers.

Everything I know About Love is about the struggles of early adulthood in all its grubby, hopeful uncertainty. A spot-on, wildly funny and sometimes heart-breaking book about growing up, growing older and navigating all kinds of love along the way.

In twenty years behind the till in The Bookshop, Wigtown, Shaun Bythell has met pretty much every kind of customer there is - from the charming, erudite and deep-pocketed to the eccentric, flatulent and possibly larcenous.

In his boldest and most far-reaching book yet, world-famous economist Yanis Varoufakis argues that capitalism is dead and a new economic era has begun.

A unique collection of unpublished letters from the climbing legend George Mallory to his family, revealing his innermost thoughts about people, places and mountains. On the 8th of June, 1924, George Mallory and Sandy Irvine were seen through a telescope on the upper slopes of Mount Everest. 

The first authorised biography of eternal legend Elizabeth Taylor. Known for her glamorous beauty, soap-opera personal life and magnetic screen presence, Elizabeth Taylor was the twentieth century’s most famous film star.

An astounding illustrated biography of American rock 'n' roll legend Eddie Cochran, made possible through unique access to Cochran's possessions in his room at the time of his untimely death. 

Every now and again I need to get down here, to get into the Diogenes tub, as it were, or the Colmcille beehive hut, or the Mossbawn scullery. At any rate, a hedge surrounds me, the blackbird calls, the soul settles for an hour or two. For all his public eminence, Seamus Heaney seems never to have lost the compelling need to write personal letters. 

The imprint of the written word on the private self, as Toibin himself remarks, is extraordinarily powerful. In this collection, that power is gloriously alive, illuminating history and literature, politics and power, family and the self.