IT’S
never easy for an author to go from writing fiction to penning true, gritty
stories that involve seeking their family’s blessing before they go into print.
After
writing three successful novels Kilbarrack author Catherine Barry has achieved
just that with her recently published fourth book.
‘Charlie
& Me’ is a moving autobiographical account of Catherine’s struggle as she
tries, and ultimately succeeds, to free herself from the clutches of
alcoholism.
Friend
She
lands in Alcoholics Anonymous and meets Charlie Gallagher who becomes her
sponsor and mentor, and above all her friend.
Charlie
steers her through a sequence of challenges and setbacks including a suicide
attempt in Howth. Aided by his unique wisdom and eccentric wit, characteristics
that don’t leave him to his dying moments, Catherine is propelled into a new
life.
So
how did
‘Charlie & Me’ come about?
“I
was actually trying to write my fourth book of fiction and was struggling with
it on an off for two years,
? Catherine tells Northside People.
“Then
I woke up in the middle of the night with this idea (
‘Charlie & Me’) and I
knew I just had to write it.
Structure
“I
stayed up all night and did the outline for 12 chapters. I now had the
structure in place. I wrote the book for the next three months and then spent
two years editing it.
“There
were a lot of drafts involved. I was four years waiting to get it published and
eventually New Island Books took it on.
“The
road has been really long and tough but it’s been well worth it. This is the
book I’m most proud of. I’ve really found my voice, my true calling.
?
Buoyed
by the fantastic response to
‘Charlie & Me’, brave Catherine has decided to
turn the
‘fourth’ book she was struggling so desperately with into a factual
story.
“Chick-lit
is not for me,
? she states.
“Writing true stories is the road I want to go down
now. I want to inform people about the things that really matter.
Honest
“I
believe the reader wants more depth, something gritty, something honest.
“Writing
a factual story is totally different; it’s writing from the heart. You have to
stick to the absolute truth though or it just won’t work.
?
While
Catherine admits that it was scary laying herself bare in print, she says she
was more concerned about the other people in the book including her two
children.
Blessing
“I
had to go to all those people to get their blessing,
? she says.
“I
had to bear everyone in mind. I asked myself:
‘Am I going to hurt my children
by telling this story?’ They read it and were fine with it. It was just
something I had to do though.
?
Catherine’s
three previous books –
‘The House that Jack Built’ (2001),
‘Null & Void’
(2002) and
‘Skin Deep’ (2004) – are all characterised by their fantastic
humour.
‘Charlie
& Me’, despite its dark subject matter has a fair sprinkling of humour
running through it, which Catherine says she was very conscious of when writing
it.
“Having
humour in the book was critical,
? she explains.
“I didn’t want it to be totally
depressing. I wanted to make the reader both laugh and cry and from the very
positive feedback I’ve received so far, I think I’ve achieved that.
?
Depression
Catherine,
who spent a year on and off in hospital battling depression five years ago,
says she doesn’t set goals but now has
“direction
? in her life.
Currently
unemployed, her aim is to become a full-time writer.
“That’s
what I really want to do,
? she says.
“Going down this new route (writing true
stories), I’m going to tackle the taboos that are out there. I’m going to go
into them in great depth, drag each and every one of them out of the closet.
?
Catherine
has been a long-time friend of writer, playwright and screenwriter, Peter
Sheridan, who has offered her great encouragement since she first started
putting pen to paper.
“I’d
be lost without him,
? she adds.
“When Peter read the book, he drove out to my
house with it under his arm. He said:
‘it’s cracking’.
?
And
there is no better word than
‘cracking’ to sum up
‘Charlie & Me’, a
captivating story about recovery and hope, and especially a must-read for
anyone struggling with demons such as alcohol and depression that are plaguing
their soul!
?¢
‘Charlie & Me’ is on
sale at all good bookstores and is also available online at www.amazon.co.uk,
www.eason.ie and www.newisland.ie