Home ⋅ Published Books ⋅ An Asylum for my Affections: Sketches of Maeve Brennan

An Asylum for my Affections: Sketches of Maeve Brennan
Share by Email Share on Messenger Share on Whatsapp Share on Whatsapp

By: Maeve Brennan, Molly Hennigan
Publisher: New Island Books
Published: February 2026
Pages: 272
Categories: Non-Fiction
Language: English
Available as: Ebook
On sale at:
ISBN-13: 9781848409323

In a letter to her editor at The New Yorker, the Irish writer Maeve Brennan described the emotional landscape provided by her mother: She gave me an ‘asylum for my affections’ and I learned that my affections so far exceeded her ability to understand me that she came near to drowning. In this new anthology of essays about Maeve Brennan, ten contemporary Irish writers consider the various meanings of the word ‘asylum’: an institution, a site of incarceration, a refuge and a shelter. They explore cityscapes and girlhood, mythology and folklore, loneliness and transience, the emotional impact of history and diaspora, as well as family connections to Brennan. These 'sketches' offer new and broader perspectives on Brennan’s life and the continuing impact of her work in the 21st century. Contributors include: Darran Anderson Niamh Campbell Mary Cregan Roddy Doyle Arnold Thomas Fanning Sinéad Gleeson Belinda McKeon Éilís Ní Dhuibhne Kate Phelan Jess Traynor

Other Books From this Category

  • 12 Jan 2027 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Pocket Florence & Tuscany

    Discover twice the place in half the time with our expert team of travel writers who share what you need to know to plan the ultimate short trip to Florence & Tuscany.   Imagine a place where his...

  • 12 Jan 2027 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Pocket Porto

    Discover twice the city in half the time with our expert team of travel writers who share what you need to know to plan the ultimate short trip to Porto.   Imagine a place where street musicians ...

  • 12 Jan 2027 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Pocket New York City

    Discover twice the city in half the time with our expert team of travel writers who share what you need to know to plan the ultimate short trip to New York City.   Imagine a place where steely sk...

  • 12 Jan 2027 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Pocket Venice

    Discover twice the city in half the time with our expert team of travel writers who share what you need to know to plan the ultimate short trip to Venice.   Imagine a place where dazzling marble ...

  • 12 Jan 2027 - Lonely Planet

    Lonely Planet Best Beaches Europe: 100 of Europe’s Most Incredible Beaches

  • 12 Jan 2027 - Lonely Planet

    Lonely Planet Pocket Brooklyn

  • 12 Jan 2027 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Pocket Chicago

    Discover twice the city in half the time with our expert team of travel writers who share what you need to know to plan the ultimate short trip to Chicago.   Imagine a place where architectural i...

  • 12 Jan 2027 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Pocket Washington, DC

    Discover twice the city in half the time with our expert team of travel writers who share what you need to know to plan the ultimate short trip to Washington, DC.   Imagine a place where majestic...

  • 12 Jan 2027 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Pocket Rome

    Discover twice the city in half the time with our expert team of travel writers who share what you need to know to plan the ultimate short trip to Rome.   Imagine a place where ancient ruins give...

  • 12 Jan 2027 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Pocket Barcelona

    Discover twice the city in half the time with our expert team of travel writers who share what you need to know to plan the ultimate short trip to Barcelona.   Imagine a place where Modernista ar...

  • 12 Jan 2027 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Pocket Boston

    Discover twice the city in half the time with our expert team of travel writers who share what you need to know to plan the ultimate short trip to Boston.   Imagine a place where impressive conte...

  • 31 Dec 2026 - Four Courts Press Ltd

    Directory of Historic Dublin Guilds: Second Edition

  • 31 Dec 2026 - Irish Manuscripts Commission

    The Red Book of Ossory

  • 12 Dec 2026 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Turkiye

    Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime in this latest edition of our guide to Turkiye. Discover Türkiye's most popular experiences and best...

  • 12 Dec 2026 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Turkish Travel Phrasebook & Dictionary

    Learn essential phrases and vocabulary – from directions to eating out and travelling safely – and get to the heart of the local culture with this on-the-go language guide. Never get stuck for ...

  • 12 Dec 2026 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Pocket Dubai

    By Megan Graieg

    Discover twice the city in half the time as Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the ultimate short trip to Dubai. This latest edition uncovers the city's most ...

  • 12 Dec 2026 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Jordan

    Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime in this latest edition of our guide to Jordan. Discover Jordan's most popular experiences and best ke...

  • 12 Dec 2026 - Lonely Planet Global Limited

    Lonely Planet Dubai & Abu Dhabi

    Lonely Planet's local travel experts reveal all you need to know to plan the trip of a lifetime in this latest edition of our guide to Dubai & Abu Dhabi. Discover Dubai & Abu Dhabi's most popular e...

  • 12 Dec 2026 - Lonely Planet

    Lonely Planet Turkiye Planning Map

  • 12 Dec 2026 - Lonely Planet

    Lonely Planet Experience Turkiye

View More From This Category

Other Books From this Author

  • 30 Jan 2026 - New Island Books

    An Asylum for my Affections: Sketches of Maeve Brennan

    By Maeve Brennan, Molly Hennigan

    On the occasion of her mother’s birthday, the Irish writer Maeve Brennan wrote a letter to William Maxwell describing the emotional landscape provided by her mother. She wrote: ‘She gave me an “...

  • 12 Nov 2024 - Stinging Fly Press

    The Rose Garden

    By Maeve Brennan

    Here, in a lovely new Irish edition, is the second batch of twenty stories from the unmistakable Dublin-born, New York-based, writer Maeve Brennan (1917–1993). This volume completes her published sh...

  • 1 Sep 2023 - Eriu

    The Celestial Realm

    By Molly Hennigan

    "Phil doesn't like physical affection. She doesn't love you because you don't exist. She doesn't care if you have something important coming up. A busy week, a daunting appointment, a divorce, because...

  • 6 Jan 2017 - Stinging Fly Press

    The Long-Winded Lady - Alternate

    By Maeve Brennan

    With a new introduction by Belinda McKeon Reissued to coincide with the centenary of Maeve Brennan’s birth on January 6th 2017. “Now when I read through this book I seem to be looking at sna...

  • 25 May 2016 - The Stinging Fly

    The Springs of Affection Alternate

    By Maeve Brennan

    With a new introduction by Anne Enright. The 21 stories collected here trace the patterns of love within three Dublin families. Love between husband and wife, which begins in courtship and laughter...

  • 28 Mar 2001 - Counterpoint

    The Rose Garden

    By Maeve Brennan

    From the author of The Springs of Affection comes a second and final collection-20 masterly short stories from the glory days of The New Yorker. "Reading Maeve Brennan is like watching a master jewele...

View More From This Author

About Us

Irish Interest in based on one very simple idea: to bring the contents of any Irish bookshop to people everywhere, especially those outside Ireland who do not have the possibility of keeping abreast of new books published in Ireland. The Irish Interest web platform is purely a provider of information about new publications. The aim of the site is to have every publishing house in Ireland adding their latest titles as they become available. Hyperlinks to each title bring users of the site directly to the publisher's web area or to a sales site where books can be purchased.

Privacy Policy

Irishinterest.ie and its owners strive at all times to preserver the privacy of all personal information stored on its website and servers. Information deemed to be private and confidential will not be communicated to any parties or divulged in any way. Cookies and similar technologies Irishinterest.ie and its owners are not responsible for external data collection entities. Third party sites with access to Irishinterest.ie may be able to acquire or assimilate data. Cookies and similar technologies can be utilized by third parties accessing our site without our knowledge.

Terms & Conditions

Irishinterest.ie, Irishinterest.com, and its owners take no responsibility for information issued on its site that is posted by third parties. It is the sole responsibility of the third parties who utilize the site for publication of any information to ensure that such information is correct and does not infringe laws and the rights of others who may be affected by publication of such information. Disputed material will be removed pending clarification.