“A beautiful collection of short stories. This highly promising new author handles the two thorniest challenges for any short story writer—space and time—with remarkable ease, her prose flowing with effortless elegance.”
— The Sunday Independent

“Irish literary narrative has long been dominated by the white perspective, and works attempting to break that mould have been few. O’Donnell‘s collection is undoubtedly a powerful addition. It compels us to consider what we actually mean when we say ‘Irish,’ ‘outsider,’ or ‘the other.’”
— The Irish Independent

“These strikingly original stories focus mostly on people on the margins of society, and on those filled with a sense of rootlessness and estrangement. Infused with elements of magical realism, the work radiates a distinctive charm throughout.”
— The Irish Examiner

“New Island Books, a powerhouse publisher of Irish fiction, presents a stunning work, Wild Quiet, from the immensely talented Róisín O’Donnell. This debut collection dazzles—each story intricately conceived and delicately crafted. Reading Wild Quiet will be an experience you will not soon forget.”
— The Stony Thursday Book

“A rich, immensely readable collection from one of Ireland‘s most accomplished new-generation writers.”
— Irish Book Review

★ The stunning debut of a new-generation Irish writer, unanimously praised by the media!

★ Combining compassion with wit, exploring wounds and achievements: In this boldly innovative and daring collection, Róisín O’Donnell explores the wounds people endure and the achievements they attain, depicting moments that are both untamed and still, almost touched by divine grace. The stories combine a compassionate undertone with a witty touch, announcing the arrival of a vibrant new voice in Irish literature. Irish Book Review calls her “one of Ireland‘s most accomplished new-generation writers.”

In this boldly innovative and daring collection, Róisín O’Donnell explores the wounds people endure and the achievements they attain, depicting moments that are both untamed and still, almost touched by divine grace.

A memory-devouring monster dwelling in a wardrobe breaks free of its confinement; in a school in Donegal, a Somali girl is far tougher than she appears; beneath the jasmine trees of Andalusia, a mother waits desperately for her abducted son; on the outskirts of a city, two brothers inadvertently become caught up in a game that ultimately turns into a fatal catastrophe.

The stories in this book range widely and diversely, moving between reality and fantasy. Wild Quiet looks at the world from an unusual angle, turning the ordinary and everyday into something dazzling, while the strangest stories reveal something sublime. The stories combine a compassionate undertone with a witty touch, announcing the arrival of a vibrant new voice in Irish literature. In this boldly innovative and daring collection, Róisín O‘Donnell explores the wounds people endure and the achievements they attain, depicting moments that are both untamed and still, almost touched by divine grace.

Róisín O’Donnell

An award-winning writer. Her short stories have been published in numerous outlets including The Stinging Fly, The Moth, and The Irish Times. Her other work has also been selected for the important anthology Looking Back, and broadcast on RTÉ, Ireland‘s national broadcaster.

Róisín won the 2018 An Post Irish Book Award for Short Story of the Year for her short fiction, and was shortlisted for the same award in 2022. She is the author of the short story collection Wild Quiet, which was longlisted for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and shortlisted for the Kate O’Brien Award.

Her debut novel, Nesting, was published in 2025. Róisín is represented by Eleanor Byrne at the Pew Literary Centre. She lives near Dublin with her two children.