Mike focuses on science fiction for RTÉ series

A new story by Galway-based novelist and short-story writer, Mike McCormack will be broadcast this Sunday night on RTÉ Radio 1 at 7pm. It will also be available on podcast afterwards.

On Being Sophia, in which an android called Sophia ends up in the West of Ireland and also at a UN conference, will be read by Galway-born, London-based actress Fiona O’Shaughnessy.

It’s the final story in RTÉ’s Spoken Stories: Independence series.

This series of 12 half-hour stories was commissioned in 2019-20 by RTÉ producer and editor Clíodhna Ní Anluain as part of the station’s contribution to Ireland’s Decade of Centenaries.

Some of the country’s top writers were commissioned to contribute, including Anne Enright, Neil Jordan, Roisín O’Donnell, Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde, Yan Ge, Kevin Barry, Danielle McLaughlin, Wendy Erskine, Sue Rainsford and Colin Barrett.

So too was acclaimed Galway author, Mary Costello.

“The themes, styles and voices of the stories are as different from each other as the writers involved,” says Clíodhna who, like Mike McCormack, is a graduate of UCG (now NUIG).

The Spoken Stories collection explores the subject of  independence, a century on from Ireland’s War of Independence.

In addition to each story, there’s also a brief introduction from the author about what motivated them to write what they did.

Several authors, including Anne Enright, Wendy Erskine, Kevin Barry and Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde read their own works.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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