When Paul Lynch's Prophet Song, a novel described by the judges as a 'triumph of emotional storytelling,' won The Booker Prize 2023, he became the sixth author from Ireland to win the prize. The award also marked the third Booker win for the independent publisher Oneworld. In this episode – the first in a series, Books and their Makers, exploring contemporary publishing – Lynch appears conversation with Juliet Mabey, his publisher and the co-founder of Oneworld, as well as Margaret Kelleher, Professor and Chair of Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama at University College Dublin, to discuss his novel, the Booker win, and independent publishing. 

Books and their Makers is a new podcast series on RadioMoLI exploring the stories behind the books we read. Featuring conversations with authors, editors, publishers, agents, and translators, and highlighting the many crucial behind-the-scenes activities and workers involved in bringing writing to publication. 

The series is presented by Dr Tim Groenland, School of English, Drama and Film, UCD, and supported by the project The Publishing Infrastructures of Contemporary Anglophone Literature, funded by Taighde Éireann / Research Ireland. The first episode, featuring writer Paul Lynch and publisher Juliet Mabey airs on Friday, 31 January.

MoLI’s digital programme is supported by Ebow.