Join us for a celebration and thematic exploration of Contentious Spaces, the debut novel by acclaimed Irish writer, playwright, and performer Rosaleen McDonagh. The novel follows the Traveller families living in Saint Rita’s who face eviction by the local council, threatening not only their homes but also their history and the stories that have shaped them. As eviction day draws closer, the families struggle to preserve their dignity, finding strength in one another as they navigate an unknown future.
For an in-depth discussion of the novel and its themes, as well as Rosaleen’s artistic practice more broadly, Rosaleen will by joined by Irish-Indian writer, performer, and cultural consultant Chandrika Narayanan-Mohan.
Attendance is free but booking is essential.
ABOUT
ROSALEEN MCDONAGH is a writer, playwright, performer and a member of Aosd ána . Her plays include The Baby Doll Project, She’s Not Mine, Rings, The Prettiest Proud Boy and Mainstream . Her most recent commissions were Walls and Windows , followed by Backbone for the Abbey Theatre and Context for Pavee Point, which loosely documents the forty-year history of Pavee Point. She is part of the Navigator Series by Fishamble for 2026. She is the author of Unsettled (Skein Press, 2021) and Contentious Spaces (Skein Press, 2026). Rosaleen holds a BA, two MPhils from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD from Northumbria University. She was reappointed a Human Rights Commissioner in June 2025 and is a member of the Arts Council of Ireland.
CHANDRIKA NARAYANAN-MOHAN is an Irish-Indian writer, performer, and cultural consultant, published by Banshee, Stinging Fly, Poetry Ireland, and others. She has been artist-in-residence for several science initiatives and is a Skein Press Play it Forward Fellow. Her debut poetry collection The Salt of Something New was published with Dedalus Press this year.