Time of the Child Niall Williams in conversation with Niamh Donnelly
From internationally bestselling author Niall Williams comes this heartbreaking and life-affirming novel about small towns and second chances. Time of the Child (Bloomsbury) is the story of Doctor Jack Troy, who has always been set apart from his community, and his daughter Ronnie. As Christmas of 1962 approaches, a baby is left in their care, changing their lives, understanding of family, and role in their community forever. Join Niall in conversation with journalist Niamh Donnelly.
Niall Williams was born in Dublin in 1958. He studied English and French literature at University College Dublin before graduating with a Master’s degree in Modern American Literature. He moved to New York in 1980 where he married Christine Breen, whom he had met while she was a Master’s student also at UCD, and took his first job opening boxes of books in Fox and Sutherland’s bookshop in Mount Kisco. He later worked as a copywriter for Avon Books in New York City before leaving America with Chris in 1985 to attempt to make a life as a writer. They moved on April 1st to the cottage in west Clare that Chris’s grandfather had left eighty years before to find his life in America. His first four books were co-written with Chris and tell of their life together in Kiltumper in west Clare. He is the author of 10 previous novels including Four Letters of Love (currently being developed as a film) and the Booker longlisted History of the Rain. He has also written 3 plays produced by the Abbey, Peacock and Druid Theatres.
Niamh Donnelly is an arts journalist and critic, with regular bylines in The Irish Times, Irish Independent, Business Post and elsewhere. She has been shortlisted for Irish Journalism Awards on three occasions, in 2019, 2021 and 2023.