Frances Browner's debut novel launched at Birr Library

THERE was inevitably a great turnout at Birr Library last week for the launch of Frances Browner's debut novel: family, friends and fans and indeed library onlookers.

Not merely a celebratory launch for the author's first novel, A Bronx Summer, but along with the requisite speeches, there was music too. Frances, who grew up in County Dublin, is very close to her Offaly roots.

Her mother was a Bell from Ferbane and Frances spent many childhood holidays in Cloghan and Banagher, of which she has written extensively in short stories and poetry. Within the novel there is a cousin from 'Kilcoughlan', an imaginary town in the Midlands. Yet as historian James Scully pointed out in his richly worded speech, Kilcoughlan was an actual place in the county's history

At the beginning of 2023 Frances had applied for The Birr Writers Residency, which is funded by Offaly Arts. She was one of this year's successful applicants and came to stay in town in late August. The week-long residency, which is open to professional writers from within Ireland and abroad, has been running since 2014. It takes place at Tin Jug Studio and Brendan House. In her own speech she thanked the county council and arts officer Sally O'Leary, and spoke of her appreciation to her host Rosalind, for 'spoiling' her!

A Bronx Summer has a distinctive and attractive cover, with an absorbing story through its pages, told with the author's customary descriptive word-parings and pithy paciness. It will captivate readers in many ways but will resonate in particular with those who headed away from 1980s Ireland to the States, for employment and experiences. Great to know that during her week in Birr, Frances had the time and opportunity to get fully absorbed in a few small plot re-writes along with editorial fine-tuning, right to the resounding final completion. All shortly before the book went to print. Little doubt there'll be a second successful novel to follow.

There are signed copies for sale at SuperValu, Birr, Midland Books in Tullamore and in James Scully's pop-up bookshop in Banagher.