What Doireann Ní Ghríofa is Reading Now, and Next

In her recently published book titled Said the Dead, Doireann Ní Ghríofa introduces a protagonist referred to as the Reader, who is described in the third person.

The narrative follows this character as she explores a ghost story discovered in the asylum edgelands, a term used to describe marginal or liminal spaces near former psychiatric institutions.

The story unfolds as the Reader pieces together clues from coincidence (happenstance) and signs interpreted as omens (augury).

These terms refer to unplanned events and perceived symbols believed to foretell the future, respectively.

The book’s title, Said the Dead, suggests a focus on voices or stories emerging from the deceased, framing the narrative around themes of memory, history, and the unseen.