Neil Hegarty

for A Wilder Vein

“A Wilder Vein is an anthology linking writers with the natural world. Its theme is the wilder places of Britain, and its object an exploration of ‘new ways of seeing’. One way, articulated by Gerry Loose, is to follow what the writer sees almost in real time, taking in tiny details: the way young holly sprays from an oak or how scabs of lichen decorate the rocks. A landscape, suggests Robert Macfarlane in his foreword, is defined not only by what it is but by the way we see it: ‘certain thoughts might be possible only in certain places’.”
Independent Best Books, 2009.

”Here is a book in which 18 writers – poets, novelists, anthropologists and natural historians – visit the uninhabited regions of our crowded little archipelago and meditate on what these places mean; and while individually the results are often sparklingly written and utterly transporting, taken together they also reinforce a point Robert Macfarlane makes in his introduction: that ‘certain thoughts might be possible only in certain places, such that when we lose those places, we are losing kinds of imagination as well’.”
Scotsman

“While the subjects covered are diverse - ranging from whale song, to geology, to musings on rabbits - what unites them are the authors’ shared appreciation of contemplation, isolation and calm. And while, as many of the authors themselves admit, it is not always easy to convey every intricacy of the natural world, what they do always transmit is a sense of wonder which should inspire readers to abandon their sofas and enjoy being bewildered in the true sense of the word.”
Scottish Field

for Dublin: A View From The Ground

“Dublin: A View from the Ground is a fond, informative and entertaining evocation of Joyce’s ‘dear, dirty Dumpling’, and a fit companion for any visitor, or, indeed, Dubliner, ambling through these rain-washed streets”
John Banville

“This is a series of strolls around central Dublin with a charming, observant, learned and cheerful companion […] Dip into Hegarty’s Dublin anywhere and you’ll find yourself enrolled among the human experiences that more than battles and buildings are at the centre of the little city’s history.”
Nuala O’Faolain

“[Dublin: A View from the Ground] is a most enchanting book and I think probably just about the best introduction to Dublin a visitor could have. It combines a warm and beautifully written but also realistic appreciation of the city […] absolutely splendid.”
David Norris

“Hegarty appears to have a genuine affection for Dublin, which means that otherwise tedious passages of historical significance come alive on the page as he strolls the streets … [Dublin: A View from the Ground] is a very contemporary look back at such an old city, which means it is really the first in recent years that will appeal in a warm way to a younger generation - a difficult thing to achieve.”
Evening Herald

“An evocative homage to our capital city.”
The Gloss

“This is a perfectly delightful book … After a chapter or two in Hegarty’s company, Dublin becomes a place of mystery and magic, enchantment and distraction at every turn.”
Ireland of the Welcomes

“Dublin: A View from the Ground presents a holographic history of Dublin, showing the present emerging from the past as an organic continuity […] the author brings a fresh and exciting feel to the old city.
Irish Book Review

for Waking Up In Dublin

“There are some guide books that talk down to you, others that sneer at the place you’re choosing to visit - and then there are the ones that make you feel like you’re being shown around by an interesting and knowledgeable friend. Waking Up In Dublin by Neil Hegarty can be placed firmly in the latter category … a book that will inspire visitors and inhabitants alike.”
RTE

for The Fall of Saigon

”This sharp, slim and contemporary volume [the Stinging Fly] has many promising poems and short stories, such as Neil Hegarty’s ‘The Fall of Saigon’ which, through the story of a widow and her memories, elegiacally moves between public and private worlds.”
Irish Times