Veteran Kerry playwright and novelist Tony Guerin received a warm reception at Listowel Writers’ Week as readers, writers and friends gathered for the launch of his ambitious new novel, Quilt, which was proudly published by the JM Agency team.
The event, held at the Listowel Arms Hotel, attracted a strong local audience as well as visitors from across Ireland and overseas. They gathered to celebrate one of Kerry’s best-known literary voices and the publication of what many regard as his most ambitious work to date. Award-winning novelist Christine Dwyer Hickey has praised Quilt, describing it as, ‘A melody of varying colours and shades of diamonds, some stitched with threads of gold, others with barbed wire.’
Her endorsement adds to growing acclaim for a novel that blends history, memory, folklore and imagination in a richly layered portrait of rural Ireland.
Born in Listowel in 1938, Guerin is a respected figure in Irish literary and theatrical circles. A former Detective Sergeant with An Garda Síochána in Dublin, he spent decades working in serious crime before turning to writing after his retirement. Encouraged by his lifelong friend John B. Keane, he went on to write acclaimed plays including Cuckoo Blue, Solo Run, Hummin’, The Laird of Doon and Jury PM.
The launch was formally opened by writer, broadcaster and educator Mary Kennelly, who praised the scale and ambition of Quilt. Speaking at the event, Kennelly said the novel’s innovative structure reflected ‘the waves and rhythms of the Atlantic’, capturing both the spirit of the Irish landscape and the rich tapestry of stories woven throughout the book.
Chairperson of Listowel Writers’ Week Ned Sullivan also addressed the gathering, welcoming Quilt as an important new addition to Guerin’s body of work.
Set in the fictional village of Kilinver, Quilt follows Nell Burrows and her long-held resentment towards poet Pete Crotty, sparked by a cruel poem written decades earlier. The result is a richly layered portrait of rural Ireland shaped by religion, silence, pride, memory and buried resentment.
Drawing on poetry, Irish mythology and history, Quilt explores the hidden tensions beneath respectable small-town life. What begins as a patchwork of seemingly unrelated stories gradually unfolds into a compelling tale of revenge, manipulation and the enduring power of memory.
Writer Cyril Kelly described the novel as, ‘A festival of fact and fiction where even the deck of generations has been well and truly shuffled. Fantasies fantastic!’
Jeremy Murphy also addressed the launch. He spoke of the privilege of helping bring the novel to publication and praised the author’s commitment to producing a work of exceptional originality and ambition. The enthusiastic response at Listowel Writers’ Week reflected both the affection in which the author is held and the excitement surrounding a novel that many believe will become one of the standout literary works to emerge from Kerry in recent years.