Aug 19, 2026 · 42 min · 10 segments
In this episode, Éilis talks to novelist Sarah Gilmartin about novels 'Dinner Party' and 'Service' and her writing practice. This event was recorded in association with Limerick Literary Festival…
Sarah GilmartinGuest
Éilís Ní DhuibhneHost
Um, but with Dinner Party, I had, you know, I had done a master's in, um, in UCD in, I think, around 2010 or 2011, which was-
It was my late 20s, and I had never really written creatively before that point.
Um, I had written one short story, which I used to get into, uh, the master's.
And I found that year really, uh, wonderful in that I, you know, I, I read so much.
I, I didn't really know very much about short stories before that year, actually-
Um, and I also found the exercises that we were doing as part of the course really freeing and interesting.
But I think it took me a long time after that, much longer than a year, to really figure out how to write.
And, and the story that I got into the course with, it wasn't even, I don't think, a, a, a story.
I, I thought it was a story 'cause I'd finished it, but it was actually just a draft of-
... of a story, and that took me, like, almost an embarrassingly amount [laughs] l- of length of time to kind of figure that out.
Um, so I gave up writing for a couple of years because I had gotten frustrated with it, and then this story that went on to become Dinner Party came to me in around 2017, and I couldn't really...
Um, but with Dinner Party, I had, you know, I had done a master's in, um, in UCD in, I think, around 2010 or 2011, which was-
It was my late 20s, and I had never really written creatively before that point.
Um, I had written one short story, which I used to get into, uh, the master's.
And I found that year really, uh, wonderful in that I, you know, I, I read so much.
I, I didn't really know very much about short stories before that year, actually-
Um, and I also found the exercises that we were doing as part of the course really freeing and interesting.
But I think it took me a long time after that, much longer than a year, to really figure out how to write.
And, and the story that I got into the course with, it wasn't even, I don't think, a, a, a story.
I, I thought it was a story 'cause I'd finished it, but it was actually just a draft of-
... of a story, and that took me, like, almost an embarrassingly amount [laughs] l- of length of time to kind of figure that out.
Um, so I gave up writing for a couple of years because I had gotten frustrated with it, and then this story that went on to become Dinner Party came to me in around 2017, and I couldn't really...
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