Joseph O'Connor's Ghost Light

I've just started reading a proof copy of Joseph O'Connor's new book. "Ghost Light".

It's a press review book which isn't the final, final version. It's officially out in June.

The last time I saw Joseph was two years and 10 months ago. The date is exact cos I was 5 months pregnant, June 2007 and had gone down to his house outside Dublin to meet him for the radio show.

In a twist on men and their potting shed obsession, his office where he does all his writing is at the bottom of his garden. All mod cons, plug sockets, telephone, computer, printer, heating, this was a proper home from home. Rather than sink into the sofa and fear I would never be able to get up again, I sat at his desk on his chair (the exact same chair and desk at which he wrote his best selling Richard & Judy endorsed "Star of the Sea"). 

His computer was on. Of course I looked!!! It was just emails and no I didn't look any further. And no I didn't see if Richard and Judy were in his friends inbox!!! 

It's mad to think that the book I'm now reading was only being started. Probably on the hard drive of that exact same computer!

He sketched it out for me in general terms. After "Star of the Sea" and "Redemption Falls" it would be the third and final book in his fascination with history and Irish history in particular.

The two main characters are the Irish playwright Synge and an Irish actress Molly Allgood. He was engaged to her at the time of his death. Everyone disapproved of their love affair. She was still in her teens when the affair began. He was in his thirties.

We meet her in a lodging room house in London 27th October 1952. It's 6:43am. She is now an old woman, with only her memories and one letter from Synge remaining.

I'm only at page 51 and it's one of those books that I'm waiting for the hurry of the day to end so I can curl up with it. 

That's if the child, who was only in embryonic form when Joseph and I first talked about "Ghost Light", goes to her bed and sleeps and lets me have some down time to myself!