Hungry Words traces the Famine's influence on the works of mainstream authors from throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century. Through this approach the book will demonstrate that, far from being ignored, the legacy of the Famine has been felt, explored, and transformed by each generation of Irish authors since the 1840s.

Furthermore, by focusing on authors with differing claims to canonical status, the anthology as a whole will cast a critical eye on the ideologies of the Irish canon over the last 160 years.