GERRY Adams will visit Letterkenny later this month to launch his new book.
‘Black Mountain and Other Stories’ is the former Sinn Fein president’s 18th published work and his second collection of short stories.
The 73-year-old told http://belfastmedia.com his latest anthology was largely inspired by Black Mountain which overlooks his native Belfast.
“While one or two of the stories stray off to Galway or Dublin, mostly they are written about the shadow of the Black Mountain or the community that lives on the slopes of the Black Mountain.
“They were the inspiration for it and if any of the community recognises themselves or their friends in the stories then that is very pleasing.”
A recurring theme is that of domestic abuse, something which Gerry Adams has spoken about in terms of his own family experience.
When asked if writing the stories helped him come to terms with issues in his own life, he said, “I have come to terms with it in so far as one ever comes to terms with those events. There are two elements to that type of behaviour. One is somebody who has experienced it as a victim or a perpetrator. Or somebody who has witnessed it and arguably is also a victim. Then there is also someone like myself who wasn’t aware of what was going on until afterwards.”
Mr Adams admitted there were elements of his life that he has yet to come to terms with. But these stories are not entirely related to his own experience although that has influenced the telling of the story.
“The selection of them as stories is because I think these issues need to be talked about,” he added.
“I found it an interesting experience going back to the time of the ceasefires because obviously domestic violence and sexual violence and abuse is part of life and part of what people go through, but it wasn’t talked about a lot in Ireland generally but specifically because I think these communities were continually under siege.
“The communities were defending themselves from the enemy without, while the enemy within wasn’t really talked about. Then when the ceasefires came and we moved into a different phase these issues started to get talked about, which I think is a good thing.
“Hopefully these stories will be helpful to people who read them.”
Black Mountain and Other Stories will get its Donegal launch in the Mount Errigal Hotel on Sunday, July 17 at 7.30pm.
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