Aoife Inman

In fiction I am interested in propulsive, character-driven stories with an emphasis on sharp, unsentimental writing and bold imagery. I’m drawn to novels set in small communities, and those that dissect the intensity of close family dynamics. Examples of novels I’ve admired are Andrea Abreu’s Dogs of Summer, Daniel Magariel’s One of the Boys, Marieke Lucas Rijneveld’s The Discomfort of Evening, Bryan Washington’s Memorial and Miriam Toews’ Women Talking. I also enjoy work that experiments with form and language, particularly as a means of telling polyphonic stories. For example: Tice Cin’s Keeping the House, Saša Stanišić’s Where You Come From and Ilya Kaminsky’s Deaf Republic. In short fiction I admire the work of Wendy Erskine, Colin Barrett and Danielle Evans.

In non-fiction, my taste is broad. I am interested in narrative cultural histories that are led by a strong first-person voice, (particularly those that engage with queer spaces and perspectives), as well as essay collections, memoirs, cultural criticism, music and nature writing. Examples of my taste include Damian Le Bas’ The Stopping Places, Lauren Elkin’s Flâneuse, Seán Hewitt’s All Down Darkness Wide, Annie Ernaux’s Happening and Thomas Page McBee’s Amateur.