Author Sinéad Gleeson offers a masterclass in the restrictions suffered by Irish women

One of Ireland’s busiest writers, Sinéad Gleeson’s book about bodies is a fascinating collection of essays about a life hit by serious illness. She spoke to Sue Leonard.

Sinéad and I first met on a snowy morning in 2010. She was on crutches after a hip replacement; my arm was in a sling because I’d tripped over my dog, and the writer Howard Jacobson, who we were both there to interview, asked if all Irish journalists were broken.