What calls to us from the edge of civilization?
Author of the award-winning and No. 1 bestselling essay collection Constellations, Sinéad Gleeson unveils her mesmerizing debut novel Hagstone, a haunting exploration of art, isolation, and feminine power.
The sea is steady for now. The land readies itself. What can be done with the woman on the cliff?
On a wild and rugged island cut off and isolated to some, artist Nell feels the island is her home. It is the source of inspiration for her art, rooted in landscape, folklore and the feminine. The mysterious Inions, a commune of women who have travelled there from all over the world, consider it a place of refuge and safety, of solace in nature.
All the islanders live alongside the strange murmurings that seem to emanate from within the depths of the island, a sound that is almost supernatural – a Summoning as the Inions call it. One day, a letter arrives at Nell’s door from the reclusive Inions who invite Nell into the commune for a commission to produce a magnificent art piece to celebrate their long history. In its creation, Nell will discover things about the community and about herself that will challenge everything she thought she knew.
To celebrate the paperback publication of her haunting and hypnotic novel, Sinéad will be in conversation with writer Hannah Hutchings-Georgiou. Looking at issues of community, creativity and feminism, as well as the influence of art and politics on her writing, together they will discuss her work as an author, editor, critic and broadcaster.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of Ireland's most celebrated writers as she makes her remarkable transition from acclaimed non-fiction to her wildly engrossing and seductive debut in fiction.
“An intelligent, probing novel about isolation, art, and the incompatible desires for both solitude and community.” Maggie O’Farrell, author of Hamnet