RTÉ Commissions 12 Original Short Stories On The Theme Of Independence To Mark Ireland’s Decade of Centenaries

Anne Enright, Neil Jordan and Kevin Barry among contributors to the series  

Academy Award Nominee Saoirse Ronan to read Sue Rainsford’s story ‘Shorn’ 

In a landmark contribution to the Decade of Commemorations, RTÉ Radio 1 has commissioned a series of 12 half hour stories from the finest writers associated with Ireland and the short story for a radio and podcast series. Spoken Stories Independence starts Sunday 10 January at 7pm on RTÉ Radio 1.

Among the writers are Dublin Literary Prize winners, a Booker Prize winner, an IFTA award winner, an Oscar winning writer, authors whose work has been awarded Irish short story of the Year, as well as numerous other international awards and short-listings, along with major national and international publishing contracts. Their stories originate from a consideration of Independence, a hundred years after Ireland’s War for Independence and illustrate how an idea or concept can be so variously and entertainingly interpreted while collectively shed light on us and our times. The commissions are shared across geographies, genders, those whose first language is neither English nor Irish as well as an Irish language writer.

Anne Enright, Roisín O’Donnell, Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde, Yan Ge, Kevin Barry, Danielle McLaughlin, Wendy Erskine, Sue Rainsford, Mary Costello, Colin Barrett, Mike McCormack and Neil Jordan have written stories on the theme of ‘Independence’ for the radio and podcast series.

The stories will be voiced either by their authors or by actors. Four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan reads Sue Rainsford’s story ‘Shorn’ which will be broadcast on Sunday 31st January.

The Spoken Stories concept and this series was originated by Clíodhna Ní Anluain, who is also its producer. She said: “New fiction is such a dynamic strand of contemporary Irish cultural expression. Spoken Stories is a brand-new concept for short fiction to be commissioned and produced under a common theme or thread, and through which the listener is treated to readings of them by their authors or by invited actors, cast to best serve the stories and audiences.” 

Spoken Stories Independence is being made with support from the BAI and RTÉ.

All stories can be enjoyed by audiences on their first broadcasts from 7-7.30pm starting on Sunday 10 January 2021 and running through until Sunday 28 March 2020 on RTÉ Radio 1. This scheduling allows for the story An Authentic Conversation by Yan Ge to be broadcast during Chinese New Year. A commission for a version in Chinese Mandarin has been given to Sally Rooney’s translator, Naomi Zhong. This will also be made available as a text and as an audio story. Snáithíní Solais by Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhríde is the Irish language story commission in the series. This story is also being translated into English and accordingly made available as a text and as an audio story, following its first radio broadcast in Irish during Seachtain na Gaeilge 2021. The 12 stories will be podcast and available on https://www.rte.ie/culture/ and wherever you get your podcasts.

The themes, styles, timelines, locations, as well as the voices of the stories are as varied as the writers involved.  The spread of years figuring in the stories literally spans across a hundred years from 1938 to 2038.