Book Reviews
Editors Pick In Dublin They Really Tell You Things BY PAT INGOLDSBY If originality and creativity are two of the hall marks of a great author then Pat Ingoldsby must rank as one of the best writers of our time. Ingoldsby might only be familiar to some as a former RTE children’s TV presenter from the 1970’s and eighties who might have written him off as being “way out there”, but that was just a diversion in his long and unconventional life. The now 79 year old Dubliner is – and always has been – a poet, a wielder of words and ideas who expresses the silly and serious things in life in his own irreplaceable way. In March his new book of poetry ‘In Dublin They Really Tell You Things’ – a selection of poems, including some unpublished ones, from 1986 to 2021 was released. In my student days in Dublin I used to have some of his other offerings on my bookshelf. I was even lucky enough to get to know him a bit when he had a stall selling his poetry at the busy weekend markets in Blackrock village in Dublin, where I worked as a market hand and helper. The limited edition of ‘In Dublin They Really Tell You Things’ is only available from the Museum of
Literature Ireland (Moli) in the Irish captial and I will be doing my best to make sure I get a copy. On St. Patrick’s Day his social media site (which is managed on his behalf by a friend) announced something remarkable about the new book. “Russian publisher, editor and translator Shashi Marty nova had already translated two of Pat’s books (Beautiful Cracked Eyes and The Peculiar Sensation of Being Irish’ when she learned - last year - that I was editing a new collection of Pat’s poetry with MoLI,” the administrator on his site said. “Within weeks, perhaps even days, Shashi had translated it - and found a publisher - in time for St Patrick’s Day and its festivities in her country which, I imagine, will not be taking place anymore. It is a beautifully-crafted book, published by Rodents Publishing Ltd in Moscow and, despite the troubles, four copies of the book managed to make their way to my home yesterday. It will take them a few more days to reach Pat!.” At a time when the world is witnessing horrendous inhumanity, threats of nuclear war and deepening division somehow the idea of Pat’s book – being read by Russian and English speakers alike – might be the only thing that makes sense in a crazy world. We could learn much from him and his ilk. ‘In Dublin They Tell You Things’, might yet be Ingoldsby’s most important work.
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