Former University of Limerick graduate William Keohane released his debut memoir ‘Out There’ yesterday, November 10.
SPEAKING on his journey of writing the memoir, Keohane expressed how he “didn’t prepare to write the book necessarily, it was more that I felt compelled to write it.”
“A lot of it happened unexpectedly. When I started my MA in Creative Writing at the University of Limerick, I imagined I’d spend most of my time writing poetry, since poetry was what I’d been most interested in up until that point. Almost everything I wrote that year was prose, and almost everything I wrote, in some capacity, became part of ‘Out There’ after quite a few edits and revisions.”
“Ultimately, I wanted to write the book I hadn’t read yet, a trans and Irish perspective on grief, gender transition, and grappling with identity.”
Keohane shared his love for non-fiction writing, discussing how he particularly enjoyed works by Irish women authors such as Sinéad Gleeson, Sara Baume, and Doireann Ní Ghríofa.
“Their books were the ones I was reading in my early twenties, around the time I began trying to write about my experience transitioning, and the fearlessness with which they approached certain topics—the body, illness, art, recovery—were a big inspiration to me.”
Reflecting on his time at the University of Limerick, Keohane said he felt “incredibly grateful that I spent my MA year with those people, albeit virtually”.
“UL is a wonderful place. It really is a testament to the students and the teachers we had—Sarah Moore Fitzgerald, Donal Ryan, Rob Doyle, Kit de Waal, Gavin McCrea, and Professor Joseph O’Connor—that we all were able to work so well together, to create and to critique our work. There’s a degree of discipline needed to write well, a dedication to the craft and to learning how to write, but—as with many things—a certain amount of banter, and craic, let’s say, makes the experience so much easier.”
Keohane is currently touring the UK and Ireland, visiting eight bookshops. His final stop will be O’Mahony’s in Limerick, where he will be in conversation with his former teacher and acclaimed author Joseph O’Connor. The event will take place tomorrow, Thursday, November 12, at 7pm.
“It’s been wonderful, bringing the book to various locations in London, and the team at And Other Stories, my publisher, have been so kind and helpful.”
“Last Wednesday, I was in Gay’s The Word, in London, to sign copies of ‘Out There’, and they were so welcoming, telling me it was one of their favourite releases this autumn. I also dropped into the massive Foyles in Charing Cross to sign copies and take a photobooth picture for their wall.
“The best part, though, has been meeting readers, signing books, and talking to people who resonate with some of the themes in ‘Out There’. Having those conversations is so rewarding and makes all the effort feel worthwhile.”
Ending the tour at O’Mahony’s holds particular significance to Keohane. “It means the world to be coming back to Limerick, and to be launching it in this particular shop. O’Mahony’s is where I bought most of my schoolbooks, as a kid, and where I spent countless hours as a teenager, with friends, browsing books.”
“In many ways, this book is about coming home to Limerick; it begins on a train journey, heading down through the country, towards home. So, it feels right to be coming back, and you’re right—it feels special. I’m really looking forward to seeing who shows up.”
