Why Colm Toibin ran away with the circus — to Barcelona, Brooklyn and beyond

May 29, 2025

Colm Toibin, an acclaimed Irish novelist known for works like Brooklyn and Nora Webster, shares his adventurous life journey. He reflects on moving from rural Ireland to the liberating chaos of post-Franco Spain. Colm discusses how personal loss and family dynamics fuel his storytelling, revealing the poignant memories that shape his novels. He contrasts the cultural richness of Los Angeles with his Irish roots, while also pondering the tension between creative desires and conventional careers. Expect insights laden with humor and nostalgia!

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ANECDOTE

Circus Dreams in Enniscorthy

Colm Toibin recalls the circus coming to his hometown Enniscorthy, imagining he'd have been a clown or a bad trapeze artist. - He was mesmerized by any chance for adventure, like tagging along with an aunt to nearby places.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Swimming in Cold Irish Sea

Colm describes his mother's formidable insistence on everyone swimming in the cold Irish sea during family beach trips. - Despite the chill, eventually everyone followed her lead and got into the water, an experience etched into his soul.

insights

INSIGHT

Irish Anti-Clericalism Dynamic

Colm highlights the anti-clericalism long present in Ireland, where people often mocked priests despite needing their rites. - This contradiction shaped a cultural dynamic of respect combined with irreverence towards religious figures.

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Reflections of Childhood and Family Ties

01:33 • 19min

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Journey of Words and Identity

20:54 • 16min

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Reporting from the Heart of Famine and Politics

37:06 • 2min

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Echoes of Loss and Literary Creation

39:33 • 9min

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Cultural Reflections on Love and Life in LA

48:06 • 3min

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Reflections on Alternate Life Choices

51:01 • 2min

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Brooklyn

A Novel

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The novel tells the story of Eilis Lacey, a young woman from small-town Ireland who, in the hard years following World War II, leaves her fragile mother and charismatic sister behind to start a new life in Brooklyn. Sponsored by an Irish priest, Eilis finds work in a department store and begins evening classes in bookkeeping. She faces homesickness and culture shock but eventually finds love with Tony, an Italian-American. However, devastating news from Ireland forces her to make a critical decision between her old and new lives. The book is a quiet tour de force, exploring themes of self-determination, love, and the complexities of immigrant life.

The Irish novelist has always been open to where life can unexpectedly take him, and the excitement that comes with that kind of freedom.

Colm Toibin's first big move was from rural Ireland to Dublin after his father died when he was young.

Then, it was off to experience the wild hedonism and sexual liberation of post-Franco Spain, a pleasant shock after needing a prescription to buy condoms in Ireland.

Since then, he's journeyed to Sudan, Los Angeles, New York and beyond.

Wherever Colm goes, he keeps a running list in his head of tiny details — observations of seemingly mundane encounters, an offhand comment or the cut of a lady's suit on a train.

Every now and then, these details bubble up in Colm's memory and another of his well-loved novels, like Brooklyn, Nora Webster or The Master, is born.

This episode was produced by Meggie Morris. Conversations Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. Presented by Sarah Kanowski.

It explores film adaptations, death of a parent, grief, Ireland, homophobia, growing up gay, Catholicism, epic adventure, John Crowley, Nick Hornby, Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Julie Walters, Dublin, immigrant experience, the Irish immigrant experience, family separation, origin stories, falling in love, books, writers, novels, life-story, family dynamics, reflection, loss, funny, comedy, repression, orgies, condom prescriptions, journalism, foreign correspondents.

Colm's latest novel Long Island is published by Pan MacMillan.

He was in Australia as a guest of the Wheeler Centre, RMIT, Melbourne Writers Festival and Sydney Writers Festival.

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

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