Novelist Tim MacGabhann launched his debut poetry collection, Found in a Context of Destruction, at Books Upstairs last Thursday, February 12th. Introduced by Jessica Traynor, novelist and poetry editor at Banshee Press, MacGabhann read a selection of poems from the collection for the first time.
MacGabhann is the author of several novels, including The Black Pool, which explores themes of addiction and recovery. Known primarily for his fiction, the newly released collection marks his first full-length work of poetry.
Originally from Kilkenny and now based in Paris, MacGabhann previously worked as a journalist in Mexico, where he lived for several years. Found in a Context of Destruction features poems written across both Europe and Latin America, many dedicated to significant figures in the author’s life.
In her introduction, Traynor described the collection as work that “balances the leaden weight of addiction with so many snatches of music”, noting the way in which “Tim inhabits sound and sound inhabits his poems”. Her remarks highlighted the lyrical intensity and musicality that shape the collection.
Following the reading, MacGabhann spoke in a personal interview about his writing process and linguistic identity. Although he is multilingual, he explained that his most personal work is written in English. “You tend to write in literary forms that feel like they’re containing your sense of home”, he said. He also shared that he writes every morning after an hour of meditation, a practice that helps him find a starting point for the day’s work.
Many of the poems read at the launch were elegies, dedicated to close friends, including some who have passed away. Dublin-based novelist and creative writing teacher Lianne O’Hara, who attended the event, praised the emotional depth of the collection. “He did it really beautifully as a way not only to preserve someone and keep their memory alive, but also to have that person live on somehow”, she said, noting the evocative and moving quality of the language.
Attendee and writer Cassandra Franz also commented on MacGabhann’s distinctive style. “He has a distinctive way of writing about people that is really striking”, she said. “There’s so much diction to it. There’s so much really evocative imagery across all the genres that he writes in.”
The evening marked a significant moment in MacGabhann’s literary career, introducing readers to a new dimension of the acclaimed prose writer as a poet of striking honesty, courage, and wit.
