Inklings Book Club Book Club: Oisín McKenna, Evenings and Weekends
Aug 27, 2025
Oisín McKenna, an Irish author celebrated for his debut novel, Evenings and Weekends, shares insights into crafting a vivid love story set amidst London's sweltering heatwave. He discusses the unique challenges of developing a diverse cast of characters and the emotional complexities of relationships. The conversation touches on themes of identity, the impact of class on individual lives, and the art of pacing in storytelling. Plus, the fascinating inclusion of a whale stuck in the Thames adds a humorous twist to the narrative!
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Novel Built Around One Charged Weekend
- Oisín frames Evenings and Weekends as a multi-generational community drama set during one heatwave weekend in 2019.
- He uses a single vivid event (a whale stuck in the Thames) to bind disparate lives and emotional arcs together.
Heatwave As Emotional Accelerator
- McKenna chose a heat wave because extreme weather creates a distinct, memorable time with heightened emotional stakes.
- The heatwave intensifies public life, pushing people toward hedonism or loneliness and making scenes feel urgent.
London's Promise And Its Failures
- London appealed because it amplified possibilities and sensory detail for McKenna during his early years living there.
- He wanted to capture the city's promise of transformation and the tension when that promise repeatedly fails to materialize.
