Conversations with Friends
Sally Rooney
2017 • Faber and Faber
Just like early novels drew on letter-writing, it seems natural to me that contemporary novels would draw on emails and instant messaging, because those are the predominant forms of communicative text now. I’m interested in ‘email voice’ and the extent to which that’s replicable in a ‘literary voice.’ But ultimately I enjoyed incorporating texts and emails into the book – not so much as an experiment or a commentary, but because I like reading and writing emails and texts in my normal life too.
— Sally Rooney
Conversations with Friends
Sally Rooney
2017 • Faber and Faber
Just like early novels drew on letter-writing, it seems natural to me that contemporary novels would draw on emails and instant messaging, because those are the predominant forms of communicative text now. I’m interested in ‘email voice’ and the extent to which that’s replicable in a ‘literary voice.’ But ultimately I enjoyed incorporating texts and emails into the book – not so much as an experiment or a commentary, but because I like reading and writing emails and texts in my normal life too.
— Sally Rooney
Description
Frances is twenty-one years old, cool-headed and observant. A student in Dublin and an aspiring writer, at night she performs spoken word with her best friend Bobbi, who used to be her girlfriend. When they are interviewed and then befriended by Melissa, a well-known journalist who is married to Nick, an actor, they enter a world of beautiful houses, raucous dinner parties and holidays in Provence, beginning a complex ménage-à-quatre. But when Frances and Nick get unexpectedly closer, the sharply witty and emotion-averse Frances is forced to honestly confront her own vulnerabilities for the first time.
Excerpts
Interviews
- The Irish Times: Sally Rooney - ‘A Large Part of my Style has Definitely Developed Through Writing Emails’
- The Guardian: ‘Sally Rooney – “I don’t Respond to Authority very well”’
- Vanity Fair: ‘Sally Rooney is Grappling with What it Means to be Sally Rooney’
- Politics/Letters: Interview with Sally Rooney, author of Conversations with Friends
- The New Yorker: ‘Sally Rooney Gets in your Head’
- Western People: ‘Sally’s Success – How a Young Mayo Author Became the Voice of her Generation’
Prizes & Awards
- Winner of the Sunday Times/ PFD Young Writer of the Year Award, 2017
- Shortlisted for Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year, An Post Irish Book Awards 2017
- Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, 2018
- Shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the year, 2018
- Shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize, 2018
- Shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award, 2019
- Longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize, 2018
Reviews
- Sarah Gilmartin, The Irish Times
- Claire Kilroy, The Guardian
- Gill Moore, Totally Dublin
- Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker
- Rob Madole, Porter House Review
- Grace Keane, RTÉ
- Florine Lips, Cherwell
- Christian Lorentzen, Vulture
- Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal
- Laura Miller, Slate
- Naomi Rescorla-Brown, Palatinate
Audio
- The Irish Times Books Podcast: Sally Rooney – Conversations with Friends
- Literary Friction: Conversations with Sally Rooney
- PRH: Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney (Audio Excerpt)
Video
- Easons Ireland: Sally Rooney reads an Extract from her Novel ‘Conversation With Friends’ Exclusively for Eason
- PBS Newshour: Conversations with Friends’ Author Sally Rooney Answers your Questions
- Louisiana Channel: Sally Rooney Interview - On 'Conversations with Friends'
- Rathbones Folio Prize: Rathbones Folio Prize 2018 Shortlist | Sally Rooney
- Granta Magazine: Sally Rooney, Lucy Caldwell, Peggy Hughes and Sara Baume In Conversation
- Toronto Public Library: Appel Salon | Sally Rooney | April 24, 2019
- Louisiana Channel: Sally Rooney Interview – Writing with Marxism
