Also set in the 70s, but this time in Belfast, Louise Kennedy’s Trespasses sees a young Catholic woman fall in love with a Protestant married man. What makes it a quiet masterpiece is its utter conviction and evocation of emotion, time and place, with unexpected moments of humour while it sweeps towards its inevitable conclusion. Even though you know where it is heading, the ending offers a moment of such clarity and unsentimental connection that we were all moved to tears. Devastating and beautiful, there is not one false note. I have found it really inspiring to meet others and to hear their ideas and learn different approaches to telling a story.

I really enjoyed all aspects of the course and have signed up again. The quality of teaching is excellent and the dynamic of the group inspiring. This is the third book in my quest to read all of the shortlisted books for this year's Women's Prize for Fiction.Excellent course as an introduction to creative writing. Learning how to critique others’ work was a huge benefit to me.

There is a strong underlying theme of bridges, which is so ironic in a war story. Zora’s specialty is painting bridges. Her latest artwork is set around one of the main bridges of the city. Some folk stories within the narrative are set around bridges. And yet, all the bridges between Sarajevo and the outside world have been destroyed by the war, as have the internal metaphorical bridges between the different ethnic groups. Pod is told through the eyes of Ea, a spinner dolphin, and is a story about an ocean world increasingly haunted by the cruelty and ignorance of humans. Okojie said the book “speaks to climate change and is also a wonderful celebration of family”. Globe-spanning locations range from Renaissance Italy, rural India, the Siege of Sarajevo, Northern Ireland and opioid-infested Virginia, to an imaginary kingdom ruled by animals, a hallucinatory old cinema and an underwater world with extraordinary creatures, mysteries and mythologies.

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Priscilla is an excellent, dedicated and conscientious teacher. Great effort is made to change and develop the course each time – the handouts and dossiers are properly considered. I like the way the course is tailored to suit the particular mix of students. The Bosnian conflict of the early to mid 90’s was the first war I was conscious of. There was a lot of graphic media content and there are still images which crop up in my mind now and then. Although I don’t actively seek out literature about this topic, I do like it when i come across one.

I couldn’t help connecting this story with the situation in Ukraine right now. Of course, the author hasn’t written this book to capitalise on the current war because I had received this book from Netgalley in January and it is meant to be published on the 30th anniversary of the ‘Siege of Sarajevo’. But there are so many similarities between the experience of Zora and what we read about Ukraine citizens in the newspaper. It makes me feel like no matter how much our technology progresses, we humans don’t progress in “humanity” – our thoughts are still all about power and control, whether over nature or over other people. We are truly a selfish species on the whole. 😟 I love teaching as well as writing and teach creative writing at University College Dublin. I have a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia and read Social Anthropology at Cambridge University. Denial: The story starts with an element of denial which is also common in the World War11 stories I’ve read. Citizens can’t imagine circumstances could get worse, that the rumors are true, that the occupying force would really threaten lives or cause destruction or take away freedoms or imprison responsible citizens. I think most of us felt a bit of denial early in the Pandemic. This will be over in two weeks. It couldn’t possibly get worse or last for years. It’s human nature to deny that the worst could happen. We see this situation in Ukraine today. Before the Russian invasion, I saw an interview with some Ukrainian citizens and they reported that they were not concerned and planned to continue on with their normal activities….. they are threats we have heard and lived with for years and we’re not worried they said. We're all refugees now...We spend our days waiting for water, for bread, for humanitarian handouts: beggars in our own city"But when the unrest intensifies and all avenues to leave are gradually shut down, she is trapped, alone but for her neighbors and students, deriving comfort and support from one another. Braving the elements and coping with food shortages no electricity, no heat and no water while trying to stay alive amid mortar fire and sniper bullets they also bear witness to the destruction of the city they all love and the lives they built around it. Arriving on the tiny picturesque island of Korčula, Antonia feels a spark of hope for the first time in a long time. This is a chance to leave the past behind. The winner of this year’s prize will be announced on 14 June. The 2022 prize was won by Ruth Ozeki for The Book of Form and Emptiness. Have you ever heard of such a thing? A human chain to rescue books. A moment of coming together, of resistance. But what good did it do? They say almost two million documents burnt in there. First editions, rare manuscripts, land records, newspaper archives. Our heritage destroyed in a night.

Zora, of course! I’d love to talk and walk along the seashore with her, hearing about how all the other moments of the siege that I haven’t imagined were, and how it’s been for her afterwards. She’s a dear friend.

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However, I wanted a bit more from the characterization. Zora’s strength, resilience, and love for her family and her art were on full display, but I wish we had seen more of the nuances of her character. I also wanted more from the side characters. The ending also felt a bit abrupt. I get that in the horrors of war some threads will never be tied up fully, but it was a bit too open-ended for my taste. This book also includes one of my least favorite tropes (an affair), and the fallout of that was never examined in any real depth. Two novels on the longlist are told from the unusual perspective of animals – a spinner dolphin in Pod and a chorus of animals in Glory. Other notable themes include the power of stories, art and music to heal; social media and obsession; how the political invades the personal; poverty and violence; power and tyranny; and sisterhood. The list also features darkly comic novels about women journeying to rediscover themselves or plotting revenge against oppressive patriarchal structures. Everything is better when done together. The taste of food and water, the touch when they hug each other hello. They’ve made it through one more day, each reunion a confirmation that they’re still alive.” My Thoughts: