Evelyn Conlon – författare

The vast accomplishments of modern Irish feminism would look very different without the courageous, yet often overlooked, efforts of Irishwomen United activists in the years following the Contraceptive Train.This phenomenal collection of twenty essays offers first-hand, historical accounts of on-the-ground activities during this period, shining a light of neglected truth on the history of how Ireland was changed. In this book, writer and IWU member Evelyn Conlon together with academic Rebecca Pelan, ensure the impact of the organisation will no longer be forgotten.The collective memories of these women describe everything from pickets to sit ins, self-questioning to dancing, the development of feminist ideas and publishing despite the restrictive laws and attitudes surrounding them. Through relentless, difficult discussions, publications, marches and allyship with the global Feminist and Civil Rights Movement, the ideas of IWU were transformed into action for the sake of reproductive rights, sexuality, representation and rape crisis work.A foreword from former Irish President Mary McAleese contextualises the collective labour of IWU within a not-so-distant past in Ireland. This book also features an archive of original art, flyers, photographs and memorabilia of the movement, many of which appear for the first time in print.A glimpse at the long-winding track of history behind us reminds us how far we've come. Irishwomen United and their allies set the precedent for change for the next generation. The stories of these women campaigners are not only representative of past movements, but also a call to action for future social justice activists in the fight for liberation and equality for all.

This collection of eleven stories by one of Ireland’s best writers is a compelling exploration of what comes from moving about the place. In these stories, Evelyn Conlon vividly imagines her characters all over the world: Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Italy, Monaco, in a house with two drills of vegetables in Skerries. A couple spend their lives wandering around the equator because of a lie they told during anti-apartheid days; one person holds out in a border-straddling tree; a woman from Hiroshima makes the decision to get pregnant; an Irishwoman attempts to assassinate Mussolini, another fights for women's suffrage in Australia.Brilliantly written, witty, and full of the sharp observation for which Conlon is well known, Moving About the Place brings together some of the best of her recent work, along with brand-new stories, including a novella, to show how borders, movement and history change and transform people’s lives.‘A genuinely exploratory writer … her work is excitingly original.’ The Times‘Sharp sinuous writing, full of controlled anger and suddenly opened passion.’ The Scotsman

‘Evelyn Conlon’s voice is instantly recognisable:wise, funny, insightful (inciteful, if that’s a word) and irrepressible.’Lia MillsIn Reading Rites, Evelyn Conlon brings her characteristic wit and keen intelligence to the task of exploring her writing life, drawing out the events, people, books and concerns that have helped to make her the writer she is. Using the lens of her own life as a starting point, she considers a vast array of subjects, including education; the effects of the Catholic Church, particularly on the lives of women; the legacy of historical moments such as 1916; and, through it all, the power of books to free us, to offer understanding, and to help us to see outside and beyond ourselves.Part memoir, part manifesto, Reading Rites is full of the sharp observation, restless questioning and hard-won wisdom that make Conlon one of Ireland’s finest and most compelling writers.‘These essays amount to an alternative history of social change in Ireland … each one manages to keep faith with the truth of public speech.’ Sean O’Reilly